What does the city hide in a hug? & A witness (ghost), 2022-2024

What does the city hide in a hug? & A witness (ghost), 2022-2024, Glass, Iron filings, plaster, wire mesh, cardboard, polyester resin and fiberglass, 107 × 74 × 37 cm

This sculpture is a reproduction of a steel floor plate, which is mainly used to cover gaps in sidewalks. In French, these floor plates are called “tôle larmée” which translates as a metal sheet with tears. These individual grip marks or “tears” are replicated by hand and covered with oxidized iron filings to resemble metal sheets.

This series was the first made specifically for the context of Paris, where these so-called “tear sheets” are very present due to the city’s constant and necessary repairs. Salazar Rosales describes these objects of urban life as the band-aids of the city and suggests along with it the role of caretaker, which might not be seen or often acknowledged in an environment where the possibility to stop or properly “heal” feels impossible. In this way, the artist makes us think of the body, which is also referenced in the form shown to be emerging from the sheet.