Paula Garcia’s research in Corpo Ruído is intertwined with her own personal trajectory and with core elements of her artistic practice. In this series, the concepts of “body” and “noise” are generally formalized in a long-duration performance, where the artist uses magnetism to explore the interaction between the human body and sound, associated with metallic materials. The present exhibition includes a video of the action Corpo Ruído #9, performed in 2023, as part of the program curated by Marina Abramovic at Southbank Center (London-GB). During the performance, which in this instance lasted five whole days, Paula Garcia wears a suit of armor made of metal and neodymium magnets. Made of a highly ferromagnetic compound, these magnets are so powerful that when her performance collaborators toss pieces of metal at her, they stick to the suit. As more and more metallic pieces attach to the artist’s body, the weight, tension, and physical discomfort increase until reaching a breaking point. The process then stops and the artist rests, only to begin again, creating an intense experience. Although this artwork is visually striking, sound is the true sensory agent that forges the connection between the audience and the action.
