Exhibitions
Ana Pérez-Quiroga lets time fade away
In the Sismograph exhibition space in Porto, time takes on a physical and emotional dimension. It is not a stable measure nor an ordered succession of events, but rather a substance that transforms, is consumed, and leaves traces. In Movo-me em tempo elétrico (Move Me in Electric Time ), Ana Pérez-Quiroga proposes an experience in which transience and permanence coexist through a series of minimal gestures laden with meaning. The exhibition, open from September 19 to November 7, 2026, stems from a reflection on the limits of existence and the capacity of art to activate relationships between the body, objects, and memory.
'The limit of art is the limit of life' is the phrase, written in neon, that runs the length of the room from the entrance to the back. Its presence accompanies the visitor's journey and functions as a declaration of intent that acquires new meanings as one moves through the space. It is not merely a statement about artistic practice, but an invitation to consider how far the limits of lived experience can extend and what happens when art approaches that which makes us vulnerable.
At the center of the installation, two ice cubes contain two halves of an apple and a heart. These two elements, separated and suspended in time, establish a dialogue between identity, recognition, and emotional risk. The accompanying phrases—" You are her and she is you" and "You are here to risk your heart "—introduce an intimate dimension to the piece. The apple, cut into two mirrored halves, suggests a relationship of correspondence and otherness; the heart, for its part, alludes to emotional exposure, to the possibility of surrendering and embracing the uncertainty inherent in any relationship.
The temporal dimension of the work is especially evident during the opening. The ice begins to melt slowly, releasing the objects it had contained. This produces an irreversible transformation: what was suspended is now exposed, while the water retains the material trace of a process that can no longer be repeated. In contrast to this gradual disappearance, the neon light remains lit. Two temporalities converge in the same room: that of matter that is extinguished and that of light that persists. The installation thus establishes a tension between the ephemeral and the permanent, between that which inevitably disappears and that which resists the passage of time.
The title, Movo-me em tempo elétrico (Moving in Electric Time ), precisely expresses this condition of movement within an accelerated present, where events unfold intensely while memory attempts to retain them. Ana Pérez-Quiroga constructs a space of poetic resonance where time not only passes but also leaves traces, modifies bodies, and transforms the meaning of objects. The work invites us to pause before a seemingly simple process to discover within it a broader reflection on vulnerability, desire, and the need to preserve that which connects us to others.
Visual artist, filmmaker, and researcher Ana Pérez-Quiroga develops an interdisciplinary practice that explores the systems of object accumulation and the various ways in which memory—personal, collective, and postmemory—continues to intervene in the present. Through installation, textiles, photography, film, and publishing, she works with archives and everyday objects, transforming them into active devices for thought and experience. Her research pays particular attention to the relationships of care established between people, objects, and spaces, understanding that memory is not only a way of preserving the past but also a way of acting upon the present.
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