In the world of Sofia Crespo

The Open Mind Series is a selection of interviews with artists, designers and other ‘creators’ from around the world giving us an insight into how they see the world now and tomorrow. No qualifications required. No taboo. No right or wrong. Just openness. And artworks.

How do you imagine the world in 20 years?

I can’t say what will happen, but rather what I hope happens. And that is us growing as a society and taking the leaps that are needed to save the planet from ourselves. For that reason projects like One Resilient Earth are so necessary to keep us on the track of hope.

How do you imagine the world in 1000 years?

I’ve lost myself several times speculating about the future, something that took me a good while to realize wasn’t exactly leading me to a productive place. While on one hand, it is important to look at the past to learn from our mistakes, being present is also an important step in taking agency toward our future, it’s key to realize that we have what it takes to build a promising future both society & ecology-wise, and it is up to us to make use of this moment for that. Connecting to the present and raising awareness of the capabilities we have for action is more important than ever.

What is the plant, animal or object that most inspires you and how?

It’s so hard to choose just one! I love so many creatures and they inspire me in different ways. I’m always fascinated by creatures that can see more colours than we do, for example, the mantis shrimp. We only have 3 photoreceptive cones (green, blue, red), meaning that every colour we see derives from the combination of these three cones, but a mantis shrimp has up to 16 cones, which makes me wonder what the world looks like to them. What do all those colours look like?

Another creature I’m fascinated by is the cuttlefish and their chromatophores, which allow them to camouflage in different environments, (see this video) also their eyes are incredibly beautiful.

What is the emotion that drives you in your work?

The emotion driving my work has changed several times throughout my practice, initially, it used to be healing, and even at some point reconciliation. Now I think it’s more a desire to share, to spark curiosity, and start a conversation about the natural world.

What does community mean to you personally?

Community to me means to exchange and collaboration, basically it’s when we come together to share something. After covid, I grew to appreciate the value of a community more than ever, and I feel very grateful for this lesson. My online community is what gives me the energy to keep going and working on what I do, this is the one reason why I still use social media.

How do you connect with the Earth today?

During times that I’m in lockdown and can’t go to the forest or diving, spending time looking at tiny worlds with the microscope really helps remind me that there’s so much life everywhere, it’s a very meditative process. Having said that, diving is my personal favorite way of connecting with the Earth, it’s so humbling because it requires to put oneself in an environment that we’re not naturally equipped to be in, yet being able to have those experiences has been so educational and grounding.

What is your dream for the arts world?

Firstly, I hope the art world recovers from COVID-19, so many cultural institutions have suffered from this crisis. Also, I wish that more institutions support living artists! Many pieces are still being valued by scarcity and the passing of time, I would find it ridiculous if I had to be dead in order for my art to become valuable.

What’s the best thing on earth?

Biodiversity is the best thing on earth! The fact that life can take such a variety of configurations and manage to thrive.