{"id":433023,"date":"2025-09-18T06:45:22","date_gmt":"2025-09-18T06:45:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/433023\/"},"modified":"2025-09-18T06:45:22","modified_gmt":"2025-09-18T06:45:22","slug":"through-illuminated-compositions-raul-de-nieves-transforms-a-hall-into-a-bold-sanctuary-colossal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/433023\/","title":{"rendered":"Through Illuminated Compositions, Ra\u00fal de Nieves Transforms a Hall into a Bold Sanctuary \u2014 Colossal"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>In a monumental new installation, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/norauls\/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ra\u00fal de Nieves<\/a> brings Catholic imagery, Mexican folklore, and tarot into dazzling view. For \u201cIn Light of Innocence,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/pioneerworks.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Pioneer Works<\/a>\u2019 Main Hall transforms into a vibrant sanctuary complete with 50 stained glass-like panels that reach up toward the heavens. The individual pieces are fitted into the space\u2019s windows, with a larger lightbox mural radiating from below.<\/p>\n<p>De Nieves is known for utilizing common materials, including wood, glue, tape, and, for this project, brilliantly colored acetate that allows light to filter into the open hall. Along with swapping plastic for glass, the artist also upends the typical cathedral environment with non-religious imagery and typographic panels. Included are a skeleton riding a horse\u2014long a symbol of transformation in tarot\u2014and bold phrases like \u201chappiness runs in circular motion\u201d and \u201cwords are like weapons they wound sometimes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/nieves-16.jpeg\" alt=\"an installation by Raul de Nieves of a colorful window fitted pieces with typography and spiritual imagery\" class=\"wp-image-462271\"  \/><\/p>\n<p>This medley of spiritual references creates a welcoming environment that allows for reflection and connection across belief systems. A statement says, \u201c\u2018In Light of Innocence\u2019 invites viewers to embrace change not as loss, but as renewal\u2014a passage that leads to deeper insight and inner strength.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The immersive project marks de Nieves\u2019 first institutional exhibition in New York City and is on view through December 14. Find more of the artist\u2019s work on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/norauls\/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/nieves-2.jpeg\" alt=\"an installation by Raul de Nieves of a colorful lightbox mural with deities and skeletons along with smaller window fitted pieces\" class=\"wp-image-462268\"  \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2666\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/nieves-11.jpeg\" alt=\"a detail image of a work by Raul de Nieves depicting a skeleton riding a pink horse\" class=\"wp-image-462269\"  \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/nieves-18.jpeg\" alt=\"a detail image of a work by Raul de Nieves of two dragonflies on a blue striped backdrop\" class=\"wp-image-462270\"  \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2667\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/nieves-12.jpeg\" alt=\"an installation by Raul de Nieves of a colorful window fitted pieces with typography and spiritual imagery\" class=\"wp-image-462272\"  \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2666\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/nieves-13.jpeg\" alt=\"a detail image of a work by Raul de Nieves of two dragonflies on a globe\" class=\"wp-image-462273\"  \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2667\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/nieves-6.jpeg\" alt=\"detail of an installation by Raul de Nieves of a colorful lightbox mural with deities and skeletons along with smaller window fitted pieces\" class=\"wp-image-462274\"  \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Do stories and artists like this matter to you?<\/strong> Become a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/members\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"118516\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Colossal Member<\/a> now, and support independent arts publishing.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Hide advertising<\/li>\n<li>Save your favorite articles<\/li>\n<li>Get 15% off in the <a href=\"https:\/\/colossal.shop\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Colossal Shop<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Receive members-only newsletter<\/li>\n<li>Give 1% for art supplies in K-12 classrooms<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\t<script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In a monumental new installation, Ra\u00fal de Nieves brings Catholic imagery, Mexican folklore, and tarot into dazzling view.&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":433024,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3939],"tags":[4021,4020,4022,77,3252,25925,20635,147174,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-433023","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arts-and-design","8":"tag-arts","9":"tag-arts-and-design","10":"tag-design","11":"tag-entertainment","12":"tag-immersive","13":"tag-installation","14":"tag-light","15":"tag-raul-de-nieves","16":"tag-uk","17":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115223955237971224","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/433023","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=433023"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/433023\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/433024"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=433023"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=433023"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=433023"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}