Gracias a la galería Max Estrella y a Alberto. Gracias a Piera Bellato, Mathilde Invernon y Ludovico Paladini, artistas magníficos. Gracias a Guillermo Gumiel por su técnica y paciencia. Gracias Jaime Conde. Gracias a los venecianos, los figurantes, las vigilantes y los espectadores. Gracias a la Presidencia Española del Consejo de la Unión Europea, a la Embajada de Suiza para España y Andorra, al Museo del Prado y a Ana Moreno.
Visual arts / Photography / Exhibition
Invited at the Museo del Prado for the inaugural events of the Spanish Presidency of the European Union, La Ribot presented her performance LaBOLA in the iconic temple of classical art. During this action, a series of photographs were taken.
On July 9, 2023, the central gallery of the Prado, the heart of the museum, appeared chaotically occupied by an explosion of scattered objects and clothing, completely transforming the room’s appearance. LaBOLA moved through the grand gallery, exchanging clothes and objects while interacting with the audience and gallery attendants. In its journey, it encountered some of the museum’s most notable works, including Tiziano’s Portrait of Charles V, Tintoretto’s Christ Washing the Disciples’ Feet and observing from the Velázquez room, Las Meninas. The artist-edited photographs reflect the intensity of the moment, allowing for new conceptual readings and appreciation of whimsical details that inevitably capture the viewer’s attention. Through photography, dance merges with painting, and painting merges with dance. In the words of historian Jean François Chevrier, “never before has it been shown with such splendor how dance, the art of movement par excellence, can encounter the language of gestures in classical painting.”
The presented images create a communion between the audience, and the paintings in the gallery. The result is a disconcerting rarity; everything happens in reverse. The audience doesn’t look at the paintings but at “occupants” exchanging clothes and objects. The attendants, overwhelmed by the event, try to protect the works on the walls. However, La Ribot’s edited images show that Velázquez, Tintoretto, or Veronés collide with LaBOLA formed by dancers Ludovico Paladini, Piera Bellato, and Mathilde Invernon, and all of them, in turn, collide with the bewildered visitors. No one looks at the camera because, in reality, these are not photos; they are living paintings.