María Portilla

María Portilla's exhibition Bodegón del vicio explores the stigmatizing effects caused by prohibition. The works call into question the imposture of what we do legally and reveal a certain innocence in what we do illegally. Seemingly unrelated objects are displayed together, arousing suspicions about guilt and innocence within the production systems in which we participate, swinging between normative limits.

The exhibition boldly returns its validity to the practice of still life, portraying radically contemporary and intimate objects. The works are also an exploration of the limits of portraiture through inanimate objects, as they are configured by elements that narrate the artist's daily life in a biographical way. However, her painting transcends the personal by reflecting the lifestyle of those who live in the heart of this incommensurate city.

The opening will be complemented with a panel discussion on the consumption of psychoactive substances, in which the stigma that weighs on those who consume “street drugs” such as inhalable substances will be discussed, reflecting on the way in which we all resort to psychoactive substances that are found at different ends of law and order. Members of the project “Mi Valedor”, which promotes the inclusion of homeless people, will participate along with researchers and activists on issues of substance consumption and regulation.

—Laguna