With the legendary  Edinburgh Festival Fringe in full flow….. there are over 3500 shows in one  month…. its certainly keeping Queerguru Contributing Editor Robert Malcolm frantically busy in his hometown (and out of trouble!!)  You can find all his reviews  HERE

Aside from all the performances in theatres, and in every spare space, and in the streets, there is some exceptional art to be appreciated.  For example, artworks by alumni and former staff of Edinburgh College of Art

(ECA) feature in an exhibition at the University of Edinburgh Main Library Gallery, highlighting environmental and ecological themes. Rooting: Ecology, Extraction and Environmental Emergencies in the University’s Art Collection, focuses on historic and contemporary artworks that consider the entangled relationships between art, nature, extractive histories and the climate crisis. It includes a range of art forms by more than 30 different artists acquired by the University over hundreds of years, which are currently used to support and enhance research and learning.  

It was there we discovered  (and fell in love)  with the extraordinary art of Valentina Ariel Lobos Muñoz . She is a Latin American artist from Santiago de Chile, based in Germany. Her master’s studies in Contemporary Art Practice in Edinburgh, Scotland sparked a profound passion for textile art, particularly ancient tapestries and embroideries and their dialogue with the textile techniques from the Andean South. During the first lockdown in 2020, unable to continue her installation work, and armed with needle and thread, Valentina began to embroider images of the things she missed most. Her work began to depict vibrant scenes of people gathering freely in nature and public spaces such as lawns or beaches. This period of isolation fostered in her a deep connection with the countless women who had practised this craft in the domestic sphere for centuries. Curious and inspired, Valentina delved into decrypting the coded language of embroidery, shared as a common tongue between women across cultures.

Since 2)21 her textile work is part of the University of Edinburgh Art Collection  She has exhibited collectively in Santiago, Edinburgh, and Bremen  where she currently lives and works.