Daniel Cerrejon – Transforming Data into Poetic Forms
The Artist Redefines The Relationship Between Abstraction And Humanity Through Sculptures That Embody Bodily Measurements And Relational Spaces.
Daniel Cerrejon is a visionary artist whose work challenges the boundaries between the tangible and the abstract, the personal and the universal. With a career that spans continents and artistic disciplines, Cerrejon has cultivated a practice that is as intellectually rigorous as it is emotionally resonant. His art delves into the intersections of data, objects, and the human body, transforming cold, statistical abstractions into visceral, poetic forms. From his CORPUS series, which reimagines bodily measurements as intricate knots imbued with warmth and humanity, to his exploration of proxemics and relational distances, Cerrejon’s work invites viewers to reconsider the ways in which we perceive ourselves and the spaces we inhabit. His ability to balance the technical with the corporeal, the conceptual with the sensory, marks him as a singular voice in contemporary art.
In this exclusive interview for WOWwART Magazine, Cerrejon offers a rare glimpse into his creative process and the philosophies that underpin his practice. From his early studies in Madrid and New York to his time at the Whitney Independent Study Program, he reflects on the cultural and intellectual influences that have shaped his journey. Through his thoughtful responses, Cerrejon unpacks the layers of meaning in his work, revealing how he transforms data into art and abstraction into intimacy. This conversation is a testament to his profound ability to bridge the gap between the empirical and the emotional, creating art that not only engages the mind but also resonates deeply with the soul.
In the CORPUS series, what significance do the knots and flesh-like tones hold in relation to the “cold” statistical language used in the titles?
Each piece in the CORPUS series consists of various components. To answer your question, we can focus on four: the knots, color, titles, and bodily measurements. I appreciate how you frame your question in terms of ‘coldness.’ To me, two of these components are ‘cold’—the measurements and color—while the other two, the knots and titles, feel ‘warm.’ By ‘cold,’ I mean purely conceptual elements lacking traditional artistry. The measurements represent body data, while the color comes from covering the knots with makeup in a shade that approximates the average skin tone of the American population at the time the works were made. Each piece in the CORPUS series reflects ‘the average American person,’ as indicated by the titles.
The two elements I consider ‘warm,’ as opposed to the ‘cold’ ones, are the knots and titles. Each title in this series combines various standard bodily measurements, arranged in a poetic way. The rules for these poetic titles vary for each piece. Sometimes, the poetry lies in the sound and rhythm of the words, while other times, it emerges from the sequential meaning of specific measurements. An example title from this series is From One Hand to the Other, whilst Each Holds the Other, of the Average American Person.
The last of the four elements we’re discussing is the knot, which I described as a ‘warm’ element in this temperature analogy. Each knot is made by cutting a rope to the length specified in the title and tying it into a continuous knot without a beginning or end. The process of knotting is arbitrary and emotional, created by tying one knot after another in a compulsive manner until the rope can no longer be folded.
Your work brings a visceral, almost tangible presence to abstract measurements. How do you balance the contrast between the technical and the corporeal in your art?
My artwork is the embodiment of data, often related to our bodies, into physical objects. This process involves a back-and-forth between a scientific approach—an empirical method of acquiring knowledge —and an artistic approach, which is more intuitive in solving and understanding a situation. As we discussed, some works begin with a system of bodily measurements. These measurements transform into language, which is articulated in a specific way, and this language, in turn, influences the form of the work. This form is then received by the viewer, shifting their perception of themselves. It is in this final stage, when the work is perceived, that I would describe the experience as visceral. Not only because some pieces resemble guts or internal organs, evoking raw, physical sensations, but also because the perception of objects appeals to physical sensations rather than logical reasoning. I believe this sensory engagement shapes how we understand ourselves. It’s not just in artworks; all the objects around us play a role in shaping our self-perception.
Could you share more about your exploration of proxemics in your work? How do you approach representing human relational distances through sculpture?
Proxemics is the study of how people use space and distance in communication, and how these distances can convey meanings, emotions, and social dynamics. In my work, I explore these ’empty distances’—the spaces between people interacting—and transform them into objects. The resulting objects serve as index of an absence.
How does the concept of “average” influence your art, particularly in terms of bodily metrics and flesh tones, and what commentary are you hoping to make on standardization?
I became interested in the concept of the average because it transforms something universal into something particular. The data tables I use in my work are already the result of averaging—data taken from a large group of people within a specific segment of the population, with the average presented as a universal. In my work, I often reverse this process, calculating the average of various universal data points to produce a singular value, which then becomes an art object. The average calculation explores the relationship between the universal and the particular, or the collective and the individual.
By using this averaging method, I break the typical logic of data extraction. While averaging is normally part of data analysis, in my work it serves no practical purpose other than to create art.
For viewers of your work, what emotions or reactions do you hope to evoke as they encounter the embodied and recontextualized measurements in your sculptures?
As I mentioned before, more than emotions or reactions, I’m interested in art and the act of making because of how our surroundings influence our perception of ourselves .Making art is a way for me to engage with the constellation of things around us.
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