In O Paradoxo do Santo (The Paradox of the Saint) (1994) the artist refers to two fundamental axles in the Latin-American imagination: religion and militarism. The shadow of the Caxias Monument, Victor Brecheret's immense sculpture of the patron of the Brazilian army who commanded the troupes in the Paraguay War on his horse is projected from a small wooden image of Saint Tiago, the Spanish military patron of Spain who inspired the battles against the Moorish infidels. According to the artist, distorted perspectives are her main tool to emphasize the visual and conceptual paradox between a diabolic and somber general with a sword and a primitive wooden saint. This installation allows also dislodging a monument located downtown to inside the museum by means of the shadow and the questioning resulting from that.

Cristina Freire