2019
Hammered technique on polished steel plate and twisted steel tubes, inkjet print on A4 papel folded in half and stapled.
Variable dimensions (max. 1m)
The artist builds the performative object. Posteriorly, she fits herself in it, swinging and performing other actions.
The spectator is given an instructions manual to use the performative object.
In Follow My Back, beginning with a title that functions as a command, one that may (or may not) be followed, the artist photographs herself interacting with the object she constructed. For months, she repeatedly strikes a sheet of metal with a hammer until it gradually takes the shape of, and fits precisely onto, her shoulders, neck, and back.
Throughout Southeast Asia, the swing is associated with fertility rites because of its alternating motion, which Chinese terminology would identify as the interplay of yin and yang. In certain regions of India, the use of the swing was prohibited outside ritual contexts; it was reserved for communication between the earth and the heavens, and more specifically for the manifestation of the divine word.
The circle, associated with multiple symbolic meanings, is a sign of unity, time, and cyclical movement. It symbolizes perfection, homogeneity, and the absence of distinction or division. As an enclosing form, a closed circuit, the circle also functions as a symbol of protection, a protection secured by its own boundaries.
Maintaining a delicate balance, with her feet firmly planted on the ground, her gaze directed towards the sky, and her body supported by two circles, the artist presents the performative object together with an instruction manual explaining how the piece is to be used. Both the object and its manual are made available to the viewer, who may choose whether or not to follow the instructions. Nevertheless, any interaction with the work remains conditioned by the artist's own bodily dimensions.
The projects Untitled and Follow My Back were installed within the same space: a small, intimate, yet claustrophobic room, whose walls were lined with a pattern of iron rods, aligned, regimented, and directed towards the viewer.
| 2019 | Follow my back — solo installation, Espaços Novos of Faculdade de Belas-Artes da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, PT |








