With what eyes #5, 2023

Rodrigo Hernández, With what eyes #5, 2023, Hand-hammered stainless steel, 45 × 95 × 2 cm

This hand-hammered stainless steel artwork was originally created for the artist’s first institutional solo exhibition in the United States, hosted by the Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts. The dream-like metal piece, depicting a reclining monkey, which was inspired by a simple question posed by Mexican philosopher David M. Peña-Guzmán: Are humans the only dreamers on Earth? In exploring this inquiry, Hernández produced both sculptural and two-dimensional works that intertwine artistic, philosophical and scientific perspectives. Hernández’s artwork thus reflects on the cognitive and emotional experiences of nonhuman animals, offering insight into our own relationship with the natural world.