“Demons are hidden in the traces; some ask me not to leave them there”. There is an ancient form of divination that consists of guessing the fate of the wishes through the ritual of lighting up candles, watching the wax remainders, their shapes and the possible futures that they suggest. Such oracle is known as ceromancy. In the Balvanera church, there is a very popular altar devoted to Saint Expeditus. The devotional practice consists of going to the church and burning candles on iron sheets to ask the saint for a miracle. The believers are so many, that you can see the sheets full of leftovers from the used candles. Since April, 2018, I have been working on those leftovers that remain there, I systematically go to the sanctuary and collect the pieces that attract me the most. I use them to apply the lost wax method and generate metal replicas. The artwork is a result from the crossing between popular devotion and art.
You are all set!
Your first Culture Weekly will arrive this week.