Paris Internationale - © Paris Internationale
Sofía Salazar Rosales, *What does the city hide in a hug?*, 2023, Installation view of the Artist's Degree Show, Beaux Art, Paris, Plaster, wire mesh, cardboard, polyester resin, fiberglass and iron filings, 173 × 130 × 125 cm, Photo by Tiphaine Popesco - © The Artist and ChertLüdde, Berlin, Paris Internationale
What does the city hide in a hug? - © Paris Internationale
Sofía Salazar Rosales, Detail of *What does the city hide in a hug?*, 2023, Installation view of the Artist's Degree Show, Beaux Art, Paris, Plaster, wire mesh, cardboard, polyester resin, fiberglass and iron filings, 173 × 130 × 125 cm, Photo by Tiphaine Popesco - © The Artist and ChertLüdde, Berlin, Paris Internationale
Sofía Salazar Rosales
What does the city hide in a hug?, —2023
1/3

Plaster, wire mesh, cardboard, polyester resin, fiberglass and iron filings
173 × 130 × 125 cm

This sculpture is a reproduction of a steel floor plate, which is mainly used to cover gaps in sidewalks. In French, these floor plates are called “tôle larmée” which translates as a metal sheet with tears. These individual grip marks or “tears” are replicated by hand and covered with oxidized iron filings to resemble metal sheets.

It is also the first piece made specifically for the context of Paris, where these so-called “tear sheets” are very present due to the city’s constant and necessary repairs. Salazar Rosales describes these objects of urban life as the band-aids of the city and suggests along with it the role of caretaker, which might not be seen or often acknowledged in an environment where the possibility to stop or properly “heal” feels impossible.

You are using an outdated browser.
Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience.