I was born with the destiny of a rose

I was born with the destiny of a rose reimagines the archetype of the medieval knight from a queer and non-binary perspective. Juxtaposing Magical Girl and Shōjo manga narratives, along with the recovery of warrior maidens from the Charro and Castilian territories, the exhibition presents a panoply of fragile breastplates. A repertoire of armors that, far from protecting the body's vulnerability, exalt and adorn it, assembling a unique transtemporal aesthetic. The combination of materials from different temporalities and natures —fast-decomposing biomaterials articulated with metallic structures— generates tensions between the ephemeral and the durable, the soft and the structural, inviting us to return to the skin to reconsider the role of the delicate and fragile. Through materiality, the exhibition explores how to displace and transform the closed meanings associated with historical attire. From crinolines to Charro costume jewels transformed into defensive weapons, Arévalo creates openings through hinges, buttonholes, keys, and doors, tearing different garments and objects into new meanings. Ali Arévalo's work has been presented in both solo and group international exhibitions at art centers such as: Can Felipa Arts Visuals, La Fabra Centre d’art contemporani (Barcelona), Jedna Dva Tri Gallery (Prague), La Panera (Lleida), Sala d’Art Jove (Barcelona), Intermediae Matadero (Madrid), The Clemente (New York), and Kunstverein Hechingen (Stuttgart). Her work is part of the Sant Andreu Contemporani collection. She has received the Miquel Casablancas award (2025), the Art Jove Creació award (2024), and the Barcelona Crea y Hangar Material Research grant (2025). She is an artist in residence at Hangar, Barcelona. (2024-2026).