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Inspired by his personal experiences as a migrant from a dictatorial post-socialist country, Mario Sergio Alvarez's work transcends the biographical to discuss universal themes such as solidarity, memory, identity and migration. Cabinets of Presence is a solo exhibition by Mario Sergio Alvarez in which these themes are central and where he poses the question what makes us who we are.

According to Alvarez, all art is inherently political. He points out that we live in an age of simulation, where we are constantly presented with alternative realities. In his work he criticises the strategies of those in power to manipulate our sense of reality. Partly due to his personal experiences, Alvarez reflects in his work on how the manipulation of concepts such as 'identity', 'home' and 'history' underlie a (re)construction of reality.

Mario Sergio Alvarez (1993, CU)

Mario Sergio Alvarez is a multidisciplinary artist who lives and works in Nijmegen. In his practice, he investigates the interaction between the environment, culture and identity through photography, installations, paintings, films and public interventions. In the past, he exhibited at Buitenplaats Doornburgh / Bijbels Museum (Maarssen), RUIS (Nijmegen), Van Nellefabriek (Rotterdam), Lyon Biennale (France) and at various art institutions in Cuba, including the Havana Biennale and Gallery Arte Sano. He also received a starting stipend from the Mondriaan Fund in 2023. His work is included in the collection of the Fenix Museum (Rotterdam).