Carollina Lauriano: Do escuro, eu via o infinito

The term affinity first appears in medieval alchemy, used to explain the attraction and fusion between different chemical elements. Affinity, in this sense, is the force by which two disparate substances “seek, unite, and find each other.” Later, thinkers like Goethe and Weber adopted the concept metaphorically to explore social and even spiritual connections—implying mutual choice, attraction, and the possibility of new combinations.

This dual meaning of affinity—both scientific and symbolic—feels especially relevant to this exhibition. The selection stems from the artists featured in the latest edition of Art Dialogues, each issue of which brings together a curated group around a theme that guides the magazine’s conversations.

If affinity has always underpinned the dialogues of Art Dialogues, witnessing these conversations unfold in a physical space revealed how much more powerful they become when placed side by side in the two exhibition rooms.

First and foremost, the show is deeply gestural. One feels the artist’s hand in each piece—sometimes literally, as in the works of Gabriella Garcia and Regina Parra. Though the two may seem to stand in stark contrast—artificial intelligence versus oil painting—they meet in a compelling shared space: a critical interrogation of power and control through the lens of dominant historical narratives.

João Livra and Mano Penalva, who engage in dialogue in the magazine, take on a new conversation in the gallery, where both use everyday objects to explore questions within contemporary art. While each artist examines the function of these objects and subverts their logic, Andrew de Freitas, Pedro Ávila, and Rafael Triboli seem to take the inverse approach: bringing a design sensibility into the realm of art to question form and function, creating hybrid objects that blur the boundaries between disciplines.

As these affinities unfold—attempting to reconcile seemingly opposing discourses—it is Jacqueline Faus’s work that crystallizes this tension. Her ceramics become a base for thinking through painting. A vessel unconcerned with function. Design becomes the ground for contemporary art, which here also serves as a space to question historical frameworks and how we’ve learned to see certain objects. And how difficult, at times, it can be to shift those perceptions.

“From the Darkness, I Saw the Infinite” is a poetic title that emerges from a desire to reflect on the unexpected affinities born in the shadows—those quiet, invisible forces that lead to new connections and shared meanings. There are, of course, many more possible affinities to be drawn between these works, but rather than limiting interpretation, this text hopes to open space for infinite readings.