Aspirations, 2024

SOPHIE BATES, 1993, b.London Based in Rotterdam, NL

Sophie is a British artist and cultural organiser based in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. She works with video, curating, performance, writing, photography and live events. Sophie graduated with a Master in Fine Art from the Piet Zwart Institute in Rotterdam and holds a Bachelor in Fine Art from Newcastle University in the UK. In her practice she engages with other people’s experiences, performances of courtesy, the failure of language and finding space for someone to be themselves. Her habitual documenting practice is a way to understand or make sense of experiences and re-visit them. Besides her individual artistic practice, she co-runs WET, a video art collective and project space based in Rotterdam.

My project is about Quinceañeras. But since I have only recently learned about them, it's more about me finding out about the Quinceañera tradition, who celebrates it, and who is willing to share their experience or thoughts on it. I found it a fun but important subject, and it seems everyone has something to say about it. It’s been a way to connect with people and learn about a cultural aspect of their lives—a chance to meet, hear stories, and perspectives. Maybe it wasn’t the best subject to choose unless I’m really serious about it? I did finally witness a Quinceañera—a girl stepping out of a white limo in a stunning dark blue dress. For my film, ‘Aspirations’ I brought two people together to have a discussion about the Quinceañera tradition. The discussion is in Spanish, and I used a translation tool for English subtitles. Claudia talks about her experience of her own Quinceañera, and Sergio tells a funny experience he had at a Quinceañera as well as going deeper into the complexities around the tradition.