15 January–28 February 2021, Lila de Magalhaes – Subterranean Tournament
A rider looks for her lost horse. Without her horse, her stern and proper uniform serves no purpose and only elevates the sense of being out of place. Armed with a magnifying glass, binoculars and a whip, this quest takes her to unexpected environments which shift in a kaleidoscopic manner. From a vast field to a cowboy bar, to an aquarium and finally the open sea, the adventure culminates with the discovery of her own reflection.
Note: The narrating voice besides the one of the actor is taken from videos of a Danish trainer who works with particularly difficult and traumatized horses.
In her new video work Subterranean Tournament (2020), Lila de Magalhaes continues with the fantastical, fairy-tale imagery – full of absurd symbolism and weirdly charming characters – that we have come to know from her paintings and embroidered textiles. At times on-looker, at times so close to the events we are merged with the viewpoint of the subject, we too find ourselves a little lost, hovering between the longing in this quest and the fun of its comedy. ‘merging with the subject’ while making films – going too far to remain documentary, but not far enough for the films to be perceived as entirely fictive. Her approach seems to challenge the idea of reality as something non-artificial and the artist’s subjectivity as constitutional to authorship.
Starring the artist’s friend and actress Bernadette Cuvalo.
The video Subterranean Tournament could be viewed online from 15 January – 28 February 2021.
On 20 January, Lila de Magalhaes met Boyfriend.Dick for a Tarot Reading to discuss her practice in a meme come spiritual come art talk. For more info see our past events.
Lila de Magalhaes (b. 1986, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) lives and works in Los Angeles.
15 January–28 February 2021, Lila de Magalhaes – Subterranean Tournament
A rider looks for her lost horse. Without her horse, her stern and proper uniform serves no purpose and only elevates the sense of being out of place. Armed with a magnifying glass, binoculars and a whip, this quest takes her to unexpected environments which shift in a kaleidoscopic manner. From a vast field to a cowboy bar, to an aquarium and finally the open sea, the adventure culminates with the discovery of her own reflection.
Note: The narrating voice besides the one of the actor is taken from videos of a Danish trainer who works with particularly difficult and traumatized horses.
In her new video work Subterranean Tournament (2020), Lila de Magalhaes continues with the fantastical, fairy-tale imagery – full of absurd symbolism and weirdly charming characters – that we have come to know from her paintings and embroidered textiles. At times on-looker, at times so close to the events we are merged with the viewpoint of the subject, we too find ourselves a little lost, hovering between the longing in this quest and the fun of its comedy. ‘merging with the subject’ while making films – going too far to remain documentary, but not far enough for the films to be perceived as entirely fictive. Her approach seems to challenge the idea of reality as something non-artificial and the artist’s subjectivity as constitutional to authorship.
Starring the artist’s friend and actress Bernadette Cuvalo.
The video Subterranean Tournament could be viewed online from 15 January – 28 February 2021.
On 20 January, Lila de Magalhaes met boyfriend.dick for a Tarot Reading to discuss her practice and dive into a meme come spiritual come art talk.
Lila de Magalhaes (b. 1986, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) lives and works in Los Angeles.