LOS MANOS

[2020]

— Painted portraits of Guadalajara University’s historic presidents are reframed, focusing only on the hands of these powerful political figures, thus revealing their literal hold over knowledge and science, as well as the emptiness of their gestures, performed for representation purposes only. The pictures are then reproduced through anthotype, a photographic technique which uses plant juice and its reaction to sunlight to print pictures. Because it is impossible to fix this process, the pictures will continue being revealed and eventually disappear, emphasizing the gap between the treasured official portraits destined for posterity, and the precariousness of reproductions which will soon have faded away, thus questioning these images of power.« Los Manos » almost sounds like the Spanish for hands, “las manos”. It is is a slang term referring to the virile friendship uniting a group of men. Here, the term cynically echoes the subjects represented by these portraits, a caste of powerful white men governing a Mexican society plagued by chronic racism and machismo —

This work was initiated during a creative residency in Paos Guadalajara, Mexico, in partnership with Dos Mares Marseille. The final steps of production were achieved with the support of the Rouvrir le Monde residency programme in 2022.

CAPTIONS: anthotype prints on paper, 20 x 30 cm ; Exhibition views, « Los Manos », Dos Mares, Marseille, 2022, © Ronald Reyes Sevilla; Exhibition view, « Rouvrir le Monde », Château de Servières, Marseille, 2023, (c) David Giancatarina; Exhibition view, "Dorian Gray", Dohyang Lee Gallery, Paris, 2023.

EXPOSITIONS :
2020 — Obedezca las senales, Paos, Guadalajara, Mexique
2022 — Los Manos, Dos Mares, Marseille
2023 — Rouvrir le Monde, Château de Servières, Marseille
2023 — Dorian Gray, Dohyang Lee Gallery, Paris