Artist Breakthrough Moments: OpenSpaces | In Conversation with Inês Santiago
The VAA recently sat down with Inês Santiago to discuss her first solo exhibition, following her first year as a visual artist, as part of the VAA OpenSpaces 2025 project.
Inês is a Portuguese visual artist, working with drawing, painting, and experimental object-making. Holding a degree in New Communication Technologies, as well as Design, she built a 20-year international career in UX Design and Leadership, which has greatly contributed to her cooperative and interactive vision of art.
Her practices emerge from intuitive gestures and a constant act of collecting – both natural elements and human debris, reflecting the relationship between humans and the environment. Inês engages with environmental and social concerns within her work. aiming for a strong visual presence. With her discarded debris and natural elements, she creates sculptural compositions that question the possibility of adaptation and survival in the face of environmental impact and an egocentric society.
Throughout her time as a visual artist, she has participated in exhibitions throughout Portugal and on European Virtual Galleries, before branching out for her first solo exhibition as part of the VAA OpenSpaces 2025.
Keep up to date with Ines work: @inesantiago Or visit her website here.
My first solo exhibition was a celebration of my first year as a visual artist.
After two decades of an international career in UX Design and Leadership, I decided to take a sabbatical year to fully dedicate myself to my artistic practice: to create, to explore, and to reconnect with the part of me that had been waiting for space to grow.
This show became the perfect way to look back and make sense of everything I had experienced during this first year. It feels like closing a chapter; one of discovery and transformation; so that something new, more exploratory and intentional, can now emerge.
Being part of OpenSpaces, felt incredible. I felt supported and connected: part of a global community of artists who share similar values and challenges. It gave me the extra motivation and confidence I needed to take this leap I had been dreaming about for a few months. It made me feel that I was not doing this alone.
Can you tell us more about your first solo exhibition? How did it feel to host your first show as part of the VAA OpenSpaces 2025 Campaign?
How did the space itself influence your exhibition – the atmosphere, layout, or interaction with visitors?
The entrance of my house, located by the beach, became the perfect setting for my solo show. My work deals with natural elements and human debris collected from the beach, so exhibiting in a space that breathes the same environment made complete sense.
As a way to prepare visitors for the experience, I placed oyster shells at the entrance, each filled with sand and small pieces of plastic debris. It served as an introduction to the theme, connecting my work to the local oyster nursery and to the fragile balance between beauty and pollution.
Over the 10 days that it ran, I welcomed 150 visitors from 9 different countries and sold 25 pieces! Considering I live in a small coastal village, it was such a wonderful surprise.
The VAA OpenSpaces guide was an amazing source of inspiration and practical advice. I planned everything carefully. Weeks before the opening, I placed a large poster on my front window. People would slow down their cars to scan the QR code or stop to read what it was about. That curiosity was already the beginning of engagement.
Following the VAA’s guidance, I shared behind-the-scenes stories and short reels on Instagram showing the process, the setup, the first visitors placing red dots after buying artworks, and the warm atmosphere of the space.
Inside the exhibition, a video projected on the wall showed moments from my creative process over the past year. I noticed that teenagers, in particular, were fascinated by it.
I also hosted a private vernissage the evening before the opening, with people from the local art community and my family. It was full of inspiring conversations, and I closed the night with a short speech about the work. It felt magical, a moment of pure connection. I remember thinking, “I could do this forever“.
How did you manage the practical aspects – from set up to promotion to engaging visitors? How did the VAA’s tools and guidance assist you?
How did this exhibition change your perspective as an artist?
It showed me the importance of starting with what we have, rather than waiting for the perfect moment, because there never is one.
Curating the works, transforming my home into a gallery, and realising that people truly resonated with the theme of my research – that was transformative.
Seeing people engage emotionally, ask questions, and even buy my art taught me that I do have an audience, and that what I create can matter to others. It gave me both strength and clarity to keep going.
If you have work you’re proud of, just do it! Don’t wait for perfect conditions, because they don’t exist. Your work will guide you. Start small, use what you have, and let the pieces dictate the flow of the show.
Beyond considering light, placement, and the way visitors move through the space, remember to reveal who you are. People connect with authenticity. They often need to sense something in you that resonates with them before choosing to buy your work. And if you don’t have a space, do it outdoors! There’s always a way. Taking that first step will teach you more than months of hesitation ever could.
What advice would you give to artists who dream of hosting their first solo exhibition, but don’t know where to start?
All image credit to photographer: Marília Maia e Moura
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