Born in Germany, Schroeder's father was living in Brazil when the wall fell, on November 9, 1989, which, let's face it, wasn't that long ago. For us here in Brazil, not much has changed, since the Cold War affected countries above the equator more. But for someone who was born in a city that was divided for decades, it meant a lot. After all, which side did the people who lived in this city belong to? Would it have been enough for the wall to fall and everything would have gone back to normal? Divided families who had not seen each other for decades. It seems unbelievable, but we are currently experiencing a very similar situation in Ukraine. For these and many other reasons, the artist's series "The Other Side" is so relevant, and will always be.

“The Other side” consists of sculptures made with cement bricks and semi-precious stones tied together with delicate golden wires. Simple materials that carry enormous meaning for those who have lived through war, forced to adapt to another country, another culture, without knowing the whereabouts of their family. The poetic and powerful nature of this work lies precisely in the simplicity of the materials used to build the sculptures. The pink room floats, almost as if by magic, in the hollow of the brick suspended by thin strands of wire. The title of the work says it all. What is the other side? And this side? There should be no sides, since the earth is round, and the goal of globalization was to unite peoples and cultures. We have never been so disunited, and cultures so disrespected. “The Other side” can also be seen as a series of beautiful sculptures or amulets, since rose quartz is the element that catches our eye, both for its beauty and its meaning. But it also raises another issue no less dear to Schroeder: to shed light on materials that are neither praised nor noticed in our daily lives, in the same way we fail to see what happens around us. 

With a degree in architecture, Schroeder worked for 20 years in the events industry, combining creativity and dedication. Art has been present in her life since she was a teenager, and at work, it was no different. It takes research and imagination to create environments that lives up to people's dreams. Whether it's a wedding or a corporate event. Research into flowers, settings, sounds, furniture, and lighting results in what is, in essence, a true artistic installation. In other words, art has long been part of Schroeder's work.

An observant artist, she drew inspiration for this series from fungi, organisms that inhabit our homes, our food and our bodies, yet are rarely seen or desired. However, it was precisely the marks left by these beings on the walls of her home that led her to conduct extensive research, later expressed in paintings, watercolors and objects transformed into landscapes.

Schroeder's works bring back stories in subtle ways, whether through the titles or the delicacy of the paintings that transform facts from her life and marks left by what we often refuse to see, into paintings, objects and photographs. These are marks of our history that we sometimes feel an urge to erase. Yet they exist, are present, hold beauty and are extremely important.

Schroeder gives light to what is unseen, yet is part of life. Because life and art are one and the same.

Rejane Cintrao | september 2023