topics
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE MONTH
This is a report, registration, and promotion project of the acoustic and musical heritage of the Calchaquíes Valleys, particularly the Natural Amphitheater of the Quebrada del Río de las Conchas in Salta Province. Through diverse technologies, we aim to bring the local community closer to a broader audience.
The project consists of an interrelated series of individual works: An acoustic report in 3D audio, A series of musical and cultural manifestations presented in Virtual Reality (VR) and video installations, the realization of a documentary recording that captures the work carried out.
In collaboration with Mexican artist Jordi Hernandez’s timber sculpture, I engaged in a dialogue between human and sculpture. The rope, a sinewy umbilicus, orchestrated a balletic, co-dependent interplay between my body and the sculpture. Through various movements—static, slow, and fast—I created a bond with the wooden sculpture. As I moved, the sculpture responded in kind, embodying defiance against its innate inanimateness. This synergy unveiled a narrative of forms—a dialogue in which the organic curvature of my body melded with the angular stoicism of the wooden structure. I didn’t just coexist with the sculpture; I became an integral part of its existence, and it became mine, challenging the conventional demarcations between artist, object, and audience.
The performance resonated as a commentary on the human-environment continuum. In this interstice, the friction and tension symbolised the often overlooked yet intrinsic nexus between humans and nature. Corporeal emerged as a reflective mirror not just for myself—but also a contemplative vessel that implores us to reconceptualise our understanding of self in relation to our surroundings.
Untitled (Iron) is a project that delves into the profound history and symbolism of iron —a material emblematic of exploitation, conflict, and class distinction. This work unravels the narrative of iron, a material scarred by its associations with warfare and societal divisions, through a process of participatory corrosion. By inviting the audience to pour vinegar over both the iron sculpture and my naked body, I initiated an act of oxidation, symbolically unveiling the material’s layered past. In this performance, iron is reimagined as a living entity, extracted from the earth, and subjected to human use, decay, and transformation. This act of corrosion is not merely physical; it is a metaphorical excavation of history, reflecting on the symbiosis of human and non-human elements.
Set against the backdrop of Gradisca d’Isonzo, Italy—a territory steeped in a history of displacement, occupation, and conflict—the performance metamorphoses into a ritualistic act. My presence throughout the durational performance encapsulates vulnerability, inviting the audience to become part of this intimate space. The looping sound of my breath serves as an auditory soundscape within my research into iron, prompting a deeper engagement with our collective past and the internal cycles of transformation that governs all existence.
