Titled Betwixt the Hands of Time, the show revolves around a moment of central importance for the evolution of Raùl De Nieves’ creative practice, that key moment in life that occurs in the transition from childhood to adulthood. Unfolding within the constant dialogue between memory of the past and the perception of the present, the exhibition touches on a variety of recurring themes in the artist’s practice and poetics: from the celebration of motherhood and the connection to his cultural heritage to the awareness of becoming an adult which, for the artist, coincides with the willingness and commitment to respect the family traditions we have assimilated during our countless moments of learning and exchange. The theme of the advent of adulthood recurs in what the artist calls ‘celebratory skins’: the figures that inhabit the gallery spaces as unknown creatures that only vaguely resemble human features. These wearable costumes speak to us of self-adornment: they are staged as a symbol of transformation, having that magical power to transform us into someone else, to make us feel older and more mature. Allowing us to play a new role, these ornamental garments transport us into the dimension of the fantastic and attempt to make real what we often dream of being like. It is then up to us to let the dream connect with reality.
