Space with Figure

Space with figure is an appropriation of The milkmaid by Vermeer, in which a woman pours milk into a container, an everyday action that reflects the historical link between the female body and domestic chores. In the Western pictorial tradition, this representation has assigned a passive role to women, especially before the twentieth century, when their presence as artists was almost nil. Thus, much of Western art shows a female world seen through the male gaze of the painter. 

The performance consists of two moments: first, the woman repeats the action of pouring milk, which never ends, transforming the simple into something overwhelming. The second moment is mediated by a video circuit, in which the action is reproduced on a monitor and superimposed on Vermeer's painting, as if trying to follow a historically imposed pattern. 

With this work, I propose a reflection on the feminine and its link with the domestic, a culturally underestimated sphere that has forced women to fight for equality. The domestic space, far from being only a place of work, is a space of encounter and emotional order, where, in silence, we can dialogue with ourselves and affirm our identity, beyond the imposed roles.