Juana Valdés: The Deepest Blue

For The Deepest Blue, Juana Valdés immersed the ocean floor in 36 ceramic panels in cobalt, turquoise, aqua, and teal glazes. To depict the Abyssal Plain and Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the artist sourced data collected by subsea camera systems, multibeam echo sounders, and autonomous platforms engineered by General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Geographic, 3DeLorme, and NAVTEQ. The topographical relief of the seafloor, stretching from the Ivory Coast to the Caribbean, poetically depicts the complex terrain of multiple cultures and nations that constitute her Afro-Cuban American identity. The Deepest Blue stands as a poignant memorial for those who perished on transatlantic journeys. Valdés’s recontextualization of the past both sheds light on the unknown terrain and history of the ocean floor while emphasizing the unifying concept of “un solo mar” connecting us all.