ALADAS

Bete Esteves’ work is an exercise in poetry. Each piece is shaped both visually and conceptually to generate associations of elements that evoke emotions and exert an imaginative force. Her works appear as visual rhymes, telling small stories through objects that come to life, redefining their functions, and acquiring their own meaning and presence.
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A playful appropriation of icons and symbols takes us back to classic children's tales. The missing second to break the spell is trapped in the visual haiku 23 hours and 59 minutes. The simplest everyday objects, like a plastic bag, a hair clip, or curtain tassels, undergo a morphological metamorphosis, transforming into hares, monsters, or dancers. In this way, they give wings to the imagination and create situations full of lyricism.
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Aladas, the title of the exhibition, draws inspiration from a series of works based on the guardavecinos grilles of Old Havana. The Brazilian artist discovers an unexpected poetry in this ornamental architectural element and envisions it taking flight—like an iron butterfly tethered to the balconies. Two large drawings turn fragments of these grilles into grandiose images, which, in turn, extend throughout the gallery space as winged grilles. Likewise, the idea of imagining absurd hidden mechanisms within functional architectural elements comes to life in Mi Senti Ora and Clarinet Ensemble.
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This exhibition is a fable, an essay on delicacy and sensitivity.

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