Beatriz Bellorín

Latitude & Longitude is an ongoing project where I revisit geographical spaces that have deeply influenced my identity. Through this process, I seek to connect my past and present selves by engaging in an archaeological exercise that involves collecting soil samples —an element symbolizing origin and fertility— from each location. These samples are stored in envelopes labeled with their geographical coordinates, representing my attempt to recover fading memories and hold on to artifacts from my past. Confronting these places often stirs complex emotions as I face who I once was—a ghostly presence that feels distant yet intimately connected to my current self.

In these works, I incorporate myself into the natural landscape by taking self-portraits at each location, blending my presence with the environment. These portraits are later blurred and superimposed into a final image, symbolizing the gradual fading of my identity into memory. Each landscape serves as a chapter in my life, with its unique soil, coordinates, and colors, highlighting the fragmented, fluid nature of identity. The first image presented in both Latitude & Longitude and Tierra depicts my present life in Houston—a city where I continue to feel displaced yet welcomed, where I became a mother, and where I now call home.

The installation Latitude & Longitude  features images of four cities printed on voile fabric, suspended with acrylic thread to create an immersive installation that allows viewers to experience my journey from within. In Tierra, I focus on documenting the act of collecting soil through multiple photographs, capturing the physical interaction with the land. The soil from each landscape, with its distinct texture and color, is preserved in labeled envelopes. These geographical coordinates are printed on acetates, which I then superimpose and mount on glass, presenting them close to the floor. This arrangement emphasizes the connection between identity, memory, and the physicality of place.