Guillermo Bert's "Warriors" series pays homage to essential workers, particularly Latinx individuals, who have been vital during the pandemic. Through 3D scanning and layering techniques, Bert creates life-size wooden sculptures that represent the unseen workforce supporting society.
The works at the intersection of cultural and technological innovation, honoring our society’s invisible heroes by using 3D scanning and laser technology to create an army of present-day warriors who have kept the nation’s medical, agricultural, and security infrastructure functioning since the start of the pandemic.
The Warriors
Created new for this exhibition, The Warriors are life-sized, laser-cut, wooden sculptures set in an environment that resembles a harsh desert landscape. Inspired by the 2,200-year-old Chinese Terracotta Warriors—8,000 life-sized solder statues excavated in Shaanxi province in 1974—Bert’s vision was to honor the warriors of our time by creating an army of immigrant heroes.
The relationship between the individual and the collective group is apparent in the installation. Seen individually, the modern-day warriors are strong and proud, but when viewed together—and multiplied in the surrounding mirrors—they become an overwhelming and forceful army. All of the individuals depicted represent real people with real names—David, Alex, Margarita, Nalleli, Eduardo, Sabrina, and others—who stood at the forefront during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bert encourages us to think about the perceived invisibility of Latinx workers, including nurses, farmers, firefighters, activists, who kept the American economy thriving when most of the world stayed home. A visual tribute to strength and dedication, The Warriors pay homage to these fighters, acknowledging their courage, resilience, and warrior spirit.