María Berrío
Dance of the Umwelt
Earth Day Edition
For Earth Day 2026, the gallery has partnered with María Berrío on a special fundraising edition created in collaboration with renowned printshop Harlan & Weaver. The edition's proceeds will directly support the work of non-profit organizations Art into Acres, Art Switch and Artists Commit encouraging sector-wide action on climate.
María Berrío
Dance of The Umwelt
- 2026
- $3,500 (unframed) Editions will ship within 4 – 6 weeks of purchase Etching, hardground and soft ground with open bite on Hahnemühle 300gms white paper Edition of 25 + 10 AP Image: 29.21 x 20.3 cm / 11 1/2 x 8 in Paper: 41.9 x 30.4 cm / 16 1/2 x 12 in Printed by Harlan & Weaver and published by Hauser & Wirth Editions
Titled ‘Dance of The Umwelt,’ the work takes its name from a concept introduced by early 20th-century biologist Jakob von Uexküll, describing how each living being experiences the world in its own way. While human perception is limited to our five senses, many other forms of perception exist beyond what we can see or feel. Berrío’s edition reflects on these unseen realities, encouraging a broader awareness of the natural world and our place within it.
The print depicts a woman holding a bouquet of roses and a mask obscuring her face, rendered in a delicate blue line. A recurring motif in Berrío’s work, the mask operates as both a device of concealment and transformation. As the artist reflects: ‘Masks and costumes can make you feel free, but also create these otherworldly scenes where you feel like you’re under a spell or ritual that’s happening around you and you don’t know what it is… It also connects with the current world where things can feel quite surreal, and we don’t know how to behave or how to act.’
‘Masks and costumes can make you feel free, but also create these otherworldly scenes where you feel like you’re under a spell or ritual that’s happening around you and you don’t know what it is… It also connects with the current world where things can feel quite surreal, and we don’t know how to behave or how to act.’
—María Berrío
This edition also highlights Berrío’s evolving engagement with printmaking. Known for her intricate collage-based paintings, she approaches etching as an extension of this tactile practice: ‘The collage informs the drawings… and the tactility of etching echoes the textures and feel of different types of paper.’ Drawing inspiration from artists such as William Kentridge, Paula Rego and Kiki Smith, Berrío embraces the medium’s rich history while exploring new possibilities through collaboration with master printers.
‘Dance of The Umwelt,’ 2026 was printed in collaboration with Harlan & Weaver. In 2026, Berrío will further develop this aspect of her practice through a year-long residency at the LeRoy Neiman Center for Print Studies at Columbia University.
About María Berrío
María Berrío’s practice weaves together elements of memory, magic and identity, drawing heavily on both her youth in Colombia and her experiences living and working in New York City. Growing up in Bogotá with two brothers, Berrío spent much of her childhood on a family farm just outside the city, which left an indelible mark on her creative consciousness. These early experiences, rich with nature, music and storytelling, continue to inform her art today, which is deeply rooted in her Colombian heritage, yet filtered through the lens of memory.
Art of Nature
On Earth Day, explore a conversation on cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary collaboration featuring Cliodhna Murphy, Global Head of Environmental Sustainability at Hauser & Wirth; Ingrid Arias, Project Lead at Fundaeco, a Guatemalan nature conservation organization; Marco Cerezo, founder and Executive Director of Fundaeco; and Haley Mellin, founder of Art into Acres.
About Art Switch
Art Switch is a NYC/Amsterdam–based nonprofit connecting artists, scientists, and academics to advance climate action in the arts through public programming, education, and cross-sector collaboration. Their activities are educational, community-centered and future-forward, with the aim of building the networks necessary for a systemic, climate-conscious shift in the arts.
About Artists Commit
Artists Commit is an artist-led collective committed to a climate-conscious, resilient, and equitable future. As a platform, the group has provided tools and resources to support artists catalyzing climate action, in particular through the impact of the work we make and how it travels through the art world.