Acrylic photo print on aluminium dibond backing, framed in wood and plywood frame with magnets.
In the midst of gloomy days, I am waiting for the big waves to appear. Finally, they are here. Just before sunrise, I ask someone to tie me to a thick plank, so my ankles and wrists are tightly bound; then I position myself flatly on the sand. The tide comes in, and every next wave is pulling me in more and more. As I’m trying to survive, slowly but surely, my shoulders, elbows, hips, and ankles get all raw and scratched. ‘Pão de arara’, or parrot stick, is classical torture for the slaves, it has been used by the Portuguese since the 16th century. Contemporary history of the country uses it as part of the torture repertoire by the Brazilian Special Forces (Port. ‘BOP’) – those that are responsible for breaking up riots, for drug trafficking control, and other complicated law enforcement tasks. The parrot stick is an instrument that suppresses the will. The only thing that continues to function in the human body is the head, while the rest is not allowed to move or manifest its desires into being. This posture has a special meaning to my work, as several of my performances saw me transform into a bodiless head.
Limited Edition of 5 + 2 AP, 2015: 101,1 x 103 x 4,1cm (open), 101,1 x 64 x 8,2cm (closed)