FINE ARTS

Rafael Cunha Da Silva – L'Ultrapu

by Rafael Cunha Da Silva

Ultrapu is a sculptural installation from the artist's Master’s thesis, Les Amalgamés, a fictional bestiary of invented creatures inspired by various representations of monstrosity. From medieval figures described by Ambroise Paré to post-humanist thinkers like Donna Haraway and Paul B. Preciado, these beings explore forms of marginality and transformation. Ultrapu represents a post-human laborer, altered to endure extreme tasks, then destroyed by them. Short, hunched, covered in wool, with a human face, the creature faces a screen showing a motionless frog. While its voice tells its story, we witness a frozen, hybrid, worn-out body. The installation reflects on labor, adaptation, and control over bodies.