Light Between the Islands background by Grimanesa Amoros
×

DNA

Grimanesa Amorós DNA, 7 x 4-foot private commission LED sculpture and light sculpture at the Philippe Starck Malecón Building, Lima, Peru, 2016. Made of stainless steel, diffusion and reflective material, and LEDs, this intimate Uros series light sculpture incorporates the commissioner's own DNA hair pattern silkscreened onto its surfaces in place of traditional totora reed imagery, fusing Indigenous Peruvian heritage with singular personal portraiture. Light sculpture by Grimanesa Amorós.
Grimanesa Amorós DNA, 7 x 4-foot private commission LED sculpture and light sculpture at the Philippe Starck Malecón Building, Lima, Peru, 2016. Made of stainless steel, diffusion and reflective material, and LEDs, this intimate Uros series light sculpture incorporates the commissioner's own DNA hair pattern silkscreened onto its surfaces in place of traditional totora reed imagery, fusing Indigenous Peruvian heritage with singular personal portraiture. Light sculpture by Grimanesa Amorós.
Grimanesa Amorós DNA, 7 x 4-foot private commission LED sculpture and light sculpture at the Philippe Starck Malecón Building, Lima, Peru, 2016. Made of stainless steel, diffusion and reflective material, and LEDs, this intimate Uros series light sculpture incorporates the commissioner's own DNA hair pattern silkscreened onto its surfaces in place of traditional totora reed imagery, fusing Indigenous Peruvian heritage with singular personal portraiture. Light sculpture by Grimanesa Amorós.
Grimanesa Amorós DNA, 7 x 4-foot private commission LED sculpture and light sculpture at the Philippe Starck Malecón Building, Lima, Peru, 2016. Made of stainless steel, diffusion and reflective material, and LEDs, this intimate Uros series light sculpture incorporates the commissioner's own DNA hair pattern silkscreened onto its surfaces in place of traditional totora reed imagery, fusing Indigenous Peruvian heritage with singular personal portraiture. Light sculpture by Grimanesa Amorós.
Grimanesa Amorós DNA, 7 x 4-foot private commission LED sculpture and light sculpture at the Philippe Starck Malecón Building, Lima, Peru, 2016. Made of stainless steel, diffusion and reflective material, and LEDs, this intimate Uros series light sculpture incorporates the commissioner's own DNA hair pattern silkscreened onto its surfaces in place of traditional totora reed imagery, fusing Indigenous Peruvian heritage with singular personal portraiture. Light sculpture by Grimanesa Amorós.
Grimanesa Amorós DNA, 7 x 4-foot private commission LED sculpture and light sculpture at the Philippe Starck Malecón Building, Lima, Peru, 2016. Made of stainless steel, diffusion and reflective material, and LEDs, this intimate Uros series light sculpture incorporates the commissioner's own DNA hair pattern silkscreened onto its surfaces in place of traditional totora reed imagery, fusing Indigenous Peruvian heritage with singular personal portraiture. Light sculpture by Grimanesa Amorós.
Grimanesa Amorós DNA, 7 x 4-foot private commission LED sculpture and light sculpture at the Philippe Starck Malecón Building, Lima, Peru, 2016. Made of stainless steel, diffusion and reflective material, and LEDs, this intimate Uros series light sculpture incorporates the commissioner's own DNA hair pattern silkscreened onto its surfaces in place of traditional totora reed imagery, fusing Indigenous Peruvian heritage with singular personal portraiture. Light sculpture by Grimanesa Amorós.
Grimanesa Amoros video thumbnail for DNA

Location: Philippe Starck Malecón Building | Lima, Peru, 2016
7 ft 3 in x 4 ft x 1 ft 2 in (2.21 m x 1.22 m x 0.36 m)
Stainless steel, diffusion material and reflective material, LEDs, custom lighting sequence, and electrical hardware.

DNA is a private commission light sculpture installed in the Philippe Starck Malecón Building in Lima, its silkscreened surfaces embedding the actual DNA pattern of the commissioner’s hair directly into the forms of the Uros Islands, fusing one of Peru’s most enduring Indigenous traditions with an act of singular personal portraiture.

  • Part of Amorós’s ongoing Uros series, DNA extends the body of work’s conceptual foundation by replacing the totora reed imagery traditionally silkscreened onto the sculpture’s surfaces with a pattern derived from the commissioner’s own hair DNA, making the work a living intersection of cultural memory and individual identity.
  • By incorporating the commissioner’s biological material into the silkscreening process, Amorós positions the floating Uros Islands not as a distant ethnographic subject but as a deeply personal landscape, one in which the collector’s own body becomes part of the reed-built world that has sustained the pre-Incan Uros people for centuries.
  • Installed within a residential building designed by Philippe Starck, one of the world’s most celebrated architects, DNA exists at the intersection of contemporary design, private patronage, and Amorós’s sustained commitment to honoring Peru’s Indigenous heritage within the most intimate of domestic contexts.
  • DNA represents one of the most personal commissions in Amorós’s practice, affirming her belief that the deepest function of public and private art alike is to forge a profound connection between the individual and the cultural histories that precede and sustain them.

    • In harmony with Amoros’s body of work, UROS, DNA is a captivating addition to the series of light sculptures created by Grimanesa Amorós for a Peruvian private collection.  It is located in the Philippe Starck Malecon.

    Situated off the coast of Puno, the Uros Islands boast a remarkable existence as floating islets meticulously constructed from the Totora reeds cultivated in Lake Titicaca. Every aspect of life on these islands, from houses to boats to watchtowers, is intricately crafted using these versatile reeds. In UROS HOUSE, Grimanesa Amorós captures the essence of these enchanting islands, embracing their traditional techniques and distinctive architectural forms.

    Adding a personalized touch, DNA incorporates the actual DNA of the commissioner. By employing the technique of silkscreening, the pattern of the commissioner’s hair becomes an integral part of the islands, replacing the reeds. This innovative approach infuses the artwork with a unique connection to its commissioner, fostering a profound interplay between the personal and the cultural.