MCA MAX MIX 2023

Please join for an inspiring conversation between featured designer Maria Cornejo and her close friend, MCA Denver exhibiting artist Tara Donovan. These two creative visionaries will share thoughts and reflections on their creative practice and how each has informed and inspired the other. 

Zero + Maria Cornejo was born from the desire of Chilean-born designer Maria Cornejo to build a label that creates sophisticated, beautiful garments by cutting fabrics based on the simplest geometric forms. “Zero,” as a number that neither adds nor subtracts, came to signify a point of departure, and was adopted by Cornejo as a concept that evokes the essence of her design, cutting and garment construction, and style. It has been said of her work - “In Maria Cornejo’s hands, minimalism is not a bland word . . . her clothes have a sleek sophistication and always a sense of surprise.”

For over 20 years, artist Tara Donovan has created large-scale installations, sculptures, and drawings that utilize everyday objects to explore the transformative effects of accumulation and aggregation. Known for her commitment to process, she has earned acclaim for her ability to exploit the inherent physical characteristics of an object in order to transform it into works that generate unique perceptual phenomena and atmospheric effects. Among her many accolades are her award of the prestigious MacArthur Foundation “Genius” Award in 2008 and MCA Denver’s own solo exhibition of her work in 2018.