A Chambear is Taking Over the World

April 18, 2022

New York may be home base for the thoughtfully curated studio, Tumbao, but at the heart of the space lies a spirited and effervescent Latin American flair. Tumbao saw the disproportionate representational gap within the wider fashion and art industries and decided to combat it by letting love and light shine through, creating a space where Latin American artistic voices are illuminated for all to see and more importantly, proudly encouraged.

Valentina Pozo, founder of Tumbao, banded together with near and dear friend and Mexico City-bred designer Sabrina Ol, to solidify the space that Latin American artists occupy within fashion, design, and the visual arts. The result — a truly unprecedented group show/gallery/shoppable event extraordinaire.

Interview by Kayla Curtis-Evans
Photos by Alejandro Marcial

Yet, for Valentina, Sabrina, and A Chambear a Chambear, this pop-up represents just the mere inception of an entire widening universe. When two Latinx women put their minds to something — there’s really no stopping them. A Chambear a Chambear made an appearance in Mexico City only to prepare for, in due time, taking over the world.

Immerse yourself in all of A chambear a Chambear’s magic by reading office’s conversation with Valentina and Sabrina below.

How did you two meet and how was the idea of A Chambear a Chambear born?

Valentina — We met through a mutual friend about 4 years ago! We kept in touch and once I opened Tumbao I knew I wanted Sabri to be one of the brands we carried. A chambear a chambear was the product of two friends getting way ahead of themselves on a phone call. I hit Sabri up to tell her I was coming to Mexico for a month, and the next thing we knew we were planning a mini festival for fashion lovers. What's the best thing that planning and working on A Chambear a Chambear brought into both of your lives?

Sabrina — I think for both of us the best part about building this project was finding someone that you feel at ease working with. I’ve always felt that people would perceive my ideas as crazy, impossible, or weird and would question me to the point that I felt too scared to make them happen. With Valentina it felt completely the opposite, we would literally create our own reality and get excited by bringing more and more ideas to the table. Eventually, more than a business partner I feel I found a friend that listens, supports, and takes my hand every step of the way.

How did you curate the selection of designers and artists that were part of A Chambear a Chambear?

Sabrina — Choosing the artists came naturally after coming up with the concept: destruction. We wanted to express a very specific, yet relatable idea: mandar todo al carajo. Since the pandemic started, everything felt unpredictable, we didn’t know if a new type of virus would come and we won’t be able to leave our houses ever again without a protective suit. Therefore, there’s no point in doing something we don’t enjoy, and whatever we do enjoy we should go all in. I thought about people I admire and who I felt it would be an honor to work with. I wanted to understand what the idea of destruction brought up for them and how they’d navigate it. The result was completely enlightening since every single piece treated the theme from completely different places and experiences. The mediums varied from eggs, concrete, rust, wax, and a video art installation that isolated you from the noisiness of the space.

Valentina — A rule for Tumbao is that all brands are Latin American. A lot of the brands bring a contemporary look to artisanal craftsmanship. Others focus on their culture through their casting and storytelling. My overall aim when curating is to showcase what Latin American talent is today and to prove how multifaceted we are. Aside from that, I have two main priorities: one is the quality of the construction and of the materials. The other is uniqueness; I want each piece to feel like a tesorito that belongs only to you. Aside from that, it’s very instinctual; I ask myself, would I wear this? Or sometimes — would my alter ego wear this?

Valentina, you are from Ecuador and Sabrina, you are from Mexico. What does it mean to you to be a Latinx creative today?

Valentina — Los latinos somos cancheros. We’re always up for something, whether it’s meeting someone new or starting a new project — we do it from a place of so much kindness! That’s special. I truly feel like people gravitate toward us. We have so much talent and such a desire to make new friends. I think that makes us unstoppable!

Sabrina — The first thing that came into my mind was responsibility. I feel we are being heard and people are curious about our community and culture. However, I feel there is a real challenge when it comes to being coherent, real, and representing Latinx individuals in the fashion industry. We have to try to make space for diversity and give more voices to Latinx within the minorities of the industry. It is an ongoing conversation, but I believe there is a lot of room to learn and grow together, keep supporting each other, and create narratives that are our own and don’t come from the foreign eye.

What's next for A Chambear a Chambear?

Valentina — We’re taking over the world!!! The possibilities are endless. I want to have a restaurant, a world tour, or a festival. I can tell that my friendship with Sabri will continue to grow, and that’s all I need to be sure that we’re going to continue to do big things together.

Brands and designers included in A Chambear a Chambear included Ajaie Alaie, Banzo, Costaiia, De Maria, Jakhu, Katerina Annunziato, Maison Quintanar Nicolete, Martin Across, Religare, Rocatarpeya, Sabrina Ol, Sentimiento, Unsx, and Virginia Jirash.

Although the event took place April 9th, you can dive in below, through viewing exclusive photos from A Chambear a Chambear.

Art

LIA by Iga Drobisz

Your work often explores intimacy and vulnerability. How do you create a safe and authentic environment for your subjects during a shoot?

The past few months, I’ve been working on two series of photographs: nudes of women in their own apartments and portraits of women before and after giving birth. Both series involve capturing them in deeply personal spaces—bedrooms or nurseries—where they feel at ease.

Shooting in their spaces, in their own beds, plays a crucial role in creating comfort. I choose film and cameras that show them in a way they find beautiful and empowering, emphasizing softness and warmth. It's a stark contrast to modern, hyper-detailed phone cameras that sometimes reveal more than one wants to see.

Your photography has a distinct emotional depth and texture. How do you approach the interplay of light, color, and composition to achieve this?

My process is highly intuitive. I’ve never formally studied photography or apprenticed under anyone—I learned by experimenting and seeing what felt right. It’s about trusting my instincts rather than adhering to rigid rules.

What role do personal experiences or cultural influences play in shaping the stories you tell through your images? Many of your photographs feel deeply narrative.

Growing up, I was surrounded by great cinematography. My grandmother had a TV, but my mom only brought home VHS tapes—films with substance. I think that exposure shaped how I see the world, how I approach subjects, and the narrative depth in my work.

What role does spontaneity play in your shoots? Do you leave room for improvisation, or is everything carefully planned?

To balance spontaneity and structure, I go in with a clear plan and strong direction, but I remain open to surprises. It’s about letting the subject feel like the shoot is about them, not me. That openness often leads to the most unexpected, meaningful moments.

What inspired the shoot with singer Lia? How did it come together?

Collaborating with Ruby and Naomi always takes me out of my comfort zone in the best way. For this shoot, we wanted to transform someone with an iconic face but also someone like Lia—someone with a clear sense of self.

Giving her a completely new look was exciting; it brought an unexpected energy to the set. The approach was playful and experimental. The night before, I had no idea what wigs Ruby would bring or what colors Naomi might choose. It was a beautiful mix of spontaneity and collaboration.

What inspires you the most?

Movies and music are big inspirations for me, as well as the work of other photographers like Carlijn Jacobs, Harley Weir, Rineke Dijkstra, Charlotte Wales, and Nan Goldin.

What emotions or truths are the hardest for you to express through your art, and why?

I don’t think I consciously try to express specific emotions when I work. Instead, I follow what feels right in the moment—what draws me in or excites me that day. It’s less about a deliberate expression and more about letting intuition guide the way.

Art

Luna Luna: Surrealist Spectacle Lands in New York

November 21, 2024

In the 1980s, André Heller, an Austrian artist, singer-songwriter, and former actor, was looking for a new place to showcase his art. He had already taken to gardens, creating a colorful, surrealistic character using 40,000 flowers, and to the skies, organizing a 'fire theatre,' which involved an over-the-top fireworks show complete with steel-frame sculptures set on fire. But he had never tried out a fair.

So began "Luna Luna." Created as the world's first art carnival, "Luna Luna" combined the spectacular with the absurd, showcasing original rides and attractions from rising and already-at-the-top artists in Hamburg. Nearly forty years since its debut, followed by foiled plans for a worldwide tour, breached contracts, and 44 storage containers, the art fair has finally returned, calling New York home after re-debuting last year in Los Angeles.

By Hailey Johnson
Photography by Delvin Claro and Sabrina Sarnitz, courtesy of Luna Luna LLC

On a recent evening in Hudson Yards, a small carousel featured characters in quirky, Twister-like poses and an outstretched dog with seven legs. (Almost a century old, the rides are no longer rideable.) Goofy wooden sculptures were elevated in another corner, some of them cross-eyed or with a horn for a nose. A geodesic dome glowed, with Gregorian chants hovering somewhere above it.

"It's an art experience like no other," Michael Goldberg, Chief Experience Officer of Luna Luna, said recently. "People get to see artists do things they've never done before," he added.

Goldberg, founder of Something Special Studios, a creative agency behind many Nike campaigns, was determined to resurrect “Luna Luna” after reading about it online in 2019. Goldberg shopped for investors, eventually teaming up with DreamCrew, a media company co-owned by the rapper Drake. (Details on the company's investment remain vague; sources have reported that DreamCrew spent over "100 million dollars.") In 2022, an intensive restoration process began, with a team of artists reviving many of the original works, which had remained in boxes in a Texas warehouse for over thirty years. Several had been in pieces. (The team reportedly had to rebuild each work "bolt by bolt.")

That night, at the Shed, fourteen out of the original thirty-five works were on display, including the small carousel (Keith Haring), the goofy sculptures (Kenny Scharf), the neon dome (Salvador Dali), and a towering Ferris wheel decorated in drawings of stick figures, upside crowns, and references to Jim Crow (Basquiat). Missing works are in a "constant state of restoration," Goldberg said. Meanwhile, new attractions are joining the line-up. For the New York show, the Puerto Rican duo Poncilí Creación was commissioned to create "PonciliLand," a blink-and-you-miss-it section where guests "can create fantastical characters out of custom building blocks." Poncili also developed floating characters, inspired by performers who circulated the original “Luna Luna” fairgrounds in 1987. Known as "Lovers," the two characters, large and dreamlike, teetered to one side, mumbling the kind of nervous groans one does before a fall. (They never ended up falling.)

I asked Goldberg if, given that today's culture doesn't quite look or feel the same way as it did in 1987, there was any hesitation in showing some of the original works. On a back wall, a tribute featured Manfred Diex's "Palace of the Wind," a show featuring performers who fart into a microphone; on another, two ornate pedestals held sculptures of spiral poop.

"I don't see any reason why we wouldn't show any of these works," he said. "A lot of the time, art is exclusive and uninviting. The big difference between “Luna Luna” and other art experiences is that it has many sides to it, and things that have a bit of humor and playful energy. "As for "Palace of the Winds,” the decision to keep it was simple: farting is universal. He went on: "The “Crap Chancellery" is, conceptually, one of the most important works in “Luna Luna.” Daniel Spoerri's dad was killed in the Holocaust, and the work was inspired by Albert Speer, who was Hitler's architect. He took the facade of what was meant to be a Nazi shrine and turned it into the facade of a bathroom with two steaming statues of shit standing on the outside. These works are extremely important and are things that we would definitely want to honor and draw attention to."

As “Luna Luna” further develops, the show will likely change. "It will continue to evolve as we go to different cities in response to the spaces that we pop up into and in collaboration with the local city," Goldberg said." With it, there will be new characters and new stories to tell. One aspect that won't change, though, as Goldberg assured, is a long-held sentiment about a potential partnership. At one point, early on during the original “Luna Luna” era, McDonald's wanted to buy into it. Heller said no, adding that he "didn't want it to feel like Disneyland." Goldberg agreed. Nonetheless, as I watched Kenny Scharf's dizzying swing ride go around for what felt like the hundredth time, with the cartoon characters decorated on it blurring together (one with a villain's grin, another morphed into a martini glass), I couldn't help but feel like maybe I was at Disneyland, only not as robbed, but just as entertained and exhausted by its rides and fantastical characters, and wanting to go again.

Luna Luna, Hamburg, Germany, 1987.

Art

Pamela Sneed’s Speaking Tongue opens at Dashwood Projects

November 15, 2024

Pamela Sneed’s latest exhibition, Speaking Tongue, will be on view at Dashwood Projects from November 20 to December 21. The show features twenty watercolor and ink paintings inspired by her recent trip to Kenya, where she was deeply moved by the elegance of giraffes, the landscapes, and the energy of Nairobi.

Blending her background as a poet and visual artist, Sneed’s work reflects on themes of identity, nature, and connection. Her paintings capture the beauty and spirit of the animals she encountered, alongside reflections on her own experiences as part of the African diaspora.

This exhibition marks Sneed’s first solo show with Dashwood Projects and will be accompanied by a new book, also titled Speaking Tongue, to be released in December.