La ceniza ya no recuerda qué causó el incendio. / The ash no longer remembers what caused the fire.: Arturo Kameya and Claudia Martínez Garay | 59th Carnegie International: If the word we

Peruvian artists Arturo Kameya (b. 1984, Lima, PE) and Claudia Martínez Garay (b. 1983, Ayacucho, PE) present a new site-specific installation at the Mattress Factory in Pittsburgh, PA (US). The exhibition is part of the the 59th Carnegie International, If the word we, and continues both artists’ exploration of history, memory, and identity through immersive environments.

Kameya and Martínez Garay’s collaborative presentation examines Peruvian identity in relation to colonial legacy, addressing how state power, cultural extraction, and historical narratives shape collective memory. Bringing together Kameya’s engagement with architectural and cultural languages and Martínez Garay’s use of Andean symbolic imagery, the installation interweaves mythic narratives with socio-political histories, creating a layered and evocative experience.

Both artists are internationally recognized for their immersive and conceptually rigorous practices. Kameya’s recent exhibition Opaque Spirits (2024), presented at Marres in Maastricht (NL), transformed the space into a meditation on state failure and the afterlife. Martínez Garay’s Wakchakuna (2024), presented at Nottingham Contemporary (UK), evoked an excavated grave, revealing funerary and sacrificial forms emerging from soil, sand, and rubble.

About Carnegie International
Established in 1896, the Carnegie International is the longest-running exhibition of international art in North America. Organized every four years by the Carnegie Museum of Art, it serves as a leading platform for examining how contemporary artists respond to the critical issues of their time.

The 59th edition brings together new commissions, existing works, and collaborative projects by artists working locally, nationally, and internationally. Accompanied by a major publication and a range of public programs, the exhibition will extend beyond the museum to partner institutions across Pittsburgh’s North Side, including the Mattress Factory.

About The Mattress Factory
The Mattress Factory is dedicated to supporting artists in the creation of site-specific installations and presents work by artists from around the world and its local community. Visitors are invited to experience this and other exhibitions currently on view.

For more information please visit
Carnegie Museum of Art and The Mattress Factory.