mastoïd
Bosque de La Hoja, San Pablo, Heredia, Costa Rica.
2013

The title “mastoid” was proposed by the choreographer Barbara Sarreau for this work. The word comes from ancient Greek and means that is in the form of a nipple. In anatomy the term mastoid (mastoid process or apophysis mastoid) describes a conical bone located at the posterior and inferior part of the temporal bone and surrounds the ear. The mastoid is hollowed by mastoid cells in communication with the middle ear; it can communicate with the air of the tympanic body, thus playing the role of resonator.

One of my inspirations is an experience of listening to the work.

The mastoid title refers to a specific property of these multiple cylinders. By listening in these cylinders, one can perceive a certain noise. These noises are generated by the hollow shape, which is in correspondence with the earth by covering it and the cylinders ensuring an opening outwards of this emptied shape. Silence is a key to my work, and what interests me there is in this phenomenon of evoked gesture to listen. Listening is turning attention to the outside, being open and accommodating silence. Listen to the earth, as an absolute silence is to extend attention beyond the limits of the ability to perception. To listen, to look, to have attention is the impersonal state of mind, contrary to the observation in which is included the preceptor who records a phenomenon, or the perception is influenced by the individual or collective ideologies.

In reality, the phenomenon of noise is generated by small external noises, by wind, animals, humans, and these noises are transformed by the hollow stone. Obviously, by listening to these mastoids, we do not hear that ourselves.