By the 80s, Porter decided to leave the canvas and use still objects, toys and small figures, which were put to star small settings created by her. She recalls that the first object she used was a boat. It was then followed by tiny beings doing impossible tasks.

Today, her small people are destroyers as, for example, those on El hombre con el hacha y otras situaciones breves, the 11-mts intalation on exhibition now at the MALBA.

At first glance, Liliana Porter's work looks like an abstract painting over a pristine white stage. Up close, however, contless little fellows plus rocks, chairs, threads, etc are spread out around the surface. If we consider only what we see straight away (first glance), that could be a good description of things. However, as Adorno explains, “the definition of art through aesthetic appearance is incomplete: the truth of art lies in what is not in the appearance". Thus, things get complicated here, because behind the first appearance of Porter's work there are many other appearances. The artist modifies, affects the objects, so they become other things. The tiny beings, destroyed, devastaded, or doing particular tasks, take viewers to a whole other dimension. What seemed destined for playing becomes part of the narration of a catastrophe and banal accessories become significant. 

El hombre con el hacha y otras situaciones breves, by Liliana Porter (2013)

Techniques: Installation. Mixed technique over flat stage / Measures: 11 m x 6 m x 65 cm
MALBA - Details

The title of the installation can be use as guide to access it. Searching for "the man with the axe", which is minuscule (barely 5 cm in an 11-mts stage), can be a good starting point for what comes next: massive destruction.

This tiny person, punching with his axe, could represent all mankind and the disasters done in the past. Or maybe it could represent the actual chaos we live in. 

While a man destroys, a woman rakes a never-ending tail of red dust. What a light task for a tiny person. 

Tasks that look a bit old-fashioned in this cybernetic world we live in. But not in Porter's world, where there is still tenderness, humour and poetry.

Other small beings jump to our eyes if we look carefully. They are probably starring in the brief situations mentioned in the title, trying to isolate from chaos. Characters that could be the opening lines to new stories: a traveller (going away or returning) with his luggage, a woman knitting tirelessly, a man trying to untie a ball of rope, etc. 

Porter defines herself as a post-conceptual artist, whose work need "the interpretation of the viewer to gain meaning". If we take this into account, then all we could write here is not enough, because the interpretation of each viewer is unique. Liliana's installation is there for you to go and see it for yourself and complete her work. 

All the elements in the installation belong to the private collection of the artist. 

Keep reading... "Teoría estética", by Th. W. Adorno, Ed. Akal (2004).

"Charlas y escritos en el Malba", by Graciela Speranza y Mariana Rodriguez Iglesias.