Additive Synthesis. TAI
ADDITIVE SYNTHESIS
1 Eugenio, the lighthouse keeper of a small Galician town, while contemplating the sea, counts each wave, taking inventory of the sailors who have not returned, the fish markets that have already closed, the ghost factories or the time left for the barnacle until he is overwhelmed by the next breaker. The light from the lighthouse’s lantern continues to flicker tirelessly, but there are hardly any ships left to be seduced by its brilliance, much less mermaids in the legends that the shellfish harvesters tell their children, now sheltered behind a screen. Eugenio becomes frustrated, Can this land of captivating beauty and infinite provisions continue to be our cradle and our niche? Will we know how to transform ourselves to remain the same? And this watcher of darkness, scrutinizing the foam, is aware that hundreds of kilometers away a river will pour its waters there, but he does not imagine, or perhaps it is part of his sad thoughts, that this river, apparently sinuous, sensual, elegant and crystalline, he arrives poisoned and dying. And the river wonders why its tender bed can no longer support life, what it has done to deserve this punishment.
2 It’s late now, Sofía rushes to the closet to grab any piece of clothing, now she doesn’t care about anything, she feels fantastic without needing to spend hours in front of the mirror until she looks the way others would like to recognize her. I am the best, I already was before, just the packaging changes, perhaps the problem, I am sure, is that of others. I haven’t changed, but there are many other people for whom a change wouldn’t hurt at all. Sofia becomes entangled in her thoughts as she wraps herself in the towel on the way to the shower. She loves almost cold water, although the landlord could stretch out and fix the boiler already. At first she seemed nice, right?, but she didn’t stop judging me with her eyes while we signed the contract. It’s too late now, and yet Sofía delights in her decisions. She did what she had to, well, what she felt. Why force me to behave like Santi, what document or what scientific conclusion is capable of dictating my gender. Now, with all her hair soaped, she goes further and she wonders what they mean by being a complete woman. Would she have to have a breast, a different sex, stain her hands with blood with each menstruation…? Would everything be more real, more authentic? Sofía has never been one for conventions, moral or patriarchal imperatives have mattered little to her, she is above all that. Today, in the end, she was not late.
3 Only because the party deserves it and because the shirt freaks me out. Okay, I’ve been wandering around the store for two hours, but once I make up my mind quickly, it turns out that they don’t know if they have my size. What a lot of dull clothes, how much wrinkles, my goodness what a job it is for the person who has to fold all this. God what a musician! I can’t understand that there are people who don’t hallucinate with techno, I could be like that until Monday, well, and all eternity. Ivan, are you really going to be dressed like that? And don’t you get tired after so many hours away from home? Well, what do you do, because I don’t think I’m just dancing. I won’t tell you anything about the rubbish you swallow in the theater. Well, you would have loved the play I went to yesterday, the plot, at first, was a bit sad: an old lady who becomes a widow after decades of marriage. Accustomed to thinking in twos and twos, she now has to learn to be alone. But it’s very nice how she begins to approach her family in a different way, even with more security. In one part of the performance she goes out with other friends, also widows, to one of those dance halls for adults. The scene is fantastic, everyone smiles and hugs each other while dancing. They have worn some beautiful dresses, nothing dark, just bright colors, with a very sensual drape and folds. I was amazed by the whimsical shapes that the fabrics created and how they adapted to her body. A whole generation of women dancing together. If I go through that trance I am sure that I will always remember these women dancing. Okay mom, I’m glad you’ll enjoy it, zip me up because the shirt is new and looks terrible. A kiss and I’m leaving.
4 He is dying of thirst, but he is also dying of fear. It won’t be the first time that when he bends down to drink a thousand slaps rain down on him. That’s why Adrián doesn’t stop this time, he continues on and crosses the very long hallway towards the classroom. In reality, the corridor is not that long, but to him it seems infinite. He stops in front of the bathroom, every time he wants to pass he waits for someone to be inside, being there alone and having someone come in suddenly terrifies him. In class he is fascinated by the teacher from Être et avoir, a documentary that shows the fantastic coexistence of the students of a small rural school. Wow, what a way to listen to and take care of each student, any problem, no matter how small it may seem, is managed collectively, there are no rivalries, no fights, no winners or losers. Everyone is equal and everyone walks together. The bell rings, Adrián looks at the group of kids who are downstairs in the yard, he assumes for sure that they won’t invite him to Tomás’ house to play Play. Hello Adri, what are you thinking? I’ll accompany you to the patio. Adrián smiles and calmly goes down talking to Jesús, the science teacher. He had never thought about it before, but staring at him as they descend the stairs, he reminds her a lot of the professor from the documentary they just saw and, smiling, she realizes that he is no longer so alone. Jesus is not alone either, his entire family and his friends have always been by his side. He has also been afraid, very much, but he has put it at bay. He still remembers, perplexed and shaken, the news from the oncologist. He didn’t even suspect that a man could have breast cancer. Why me. It has been a long, very long road, but now it all begins again. Giving up was the easiest thing, but Jesús could not allow himself to fail, those who accompanied him nor, of course, students like those in the documentary that stimulated Adrián so much.
5 Tamara has met with Ángela, an Ecuadorian artist who works with ceramics. Her studio is crazy, chaotic, full of color and wild energy, Angela herself has an overwhelming personality and a barbaric sense of humor. You want a drink? You ask me for anything or you take it, behind those boxes is the kitchen. Ángela is very excited, she has never before participated in a portrait of hers in which her collaboration is essential. To begin with, and because she believes that she will see herself better represented, she decides that she wants to be surrounded by all her junk: brushes, paint cans, scrapers, lathes… Tamara thinks it is a great idea and this gives her model wings. to go further. Do you think she could undress me? For once a photographer wants to photograph me. Sure, go ahead, be as natural and free as you can, but come closer here because there is great light. Angela takes it literally and undresses. She leans on a small table to take off her shoes and gets wet clay all over her hand. They both smile. In an almost involuntary act, the ceramist begins to smear her body with clay, at first slowly, until moving into a frantic act. Now they both laugh out loud and understand that it is time to release the shutter. The session has been great, they rest afterwards having tea and talking about a thousand things. Ángela makes a speech about what the spark is in each creative process. She is sure that in this case it was the incident with the clay and she is struck by the fact that it is a product that is worked with the hands and not a conventional visual impulse. In fact, her ceramic pieces invite you to understand them by touch. Tamara then proposes the possible translation of the tactile experience from the photographic and for herself she thinks that, with all certainty, it is viable. She rings the doorbell, she is Angela’s friend. She is surprised because, for the first time, Sofía is punctual.
Fosi Vegue
Exhibition curator
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