DONDE ESTABA OSCURO
Eclipse
1. m. _Astron_. A period of time when the light from an object in the sky cannot be seen because another object has come between you and it.
The word eclipse comes from the Greek ekleipsis, which means disappearance, abandonment. Every time an eclipse occurs, it occurs one night within a day; minutes later, a new day begins within another which has already begun. Light, dark, light. A rebirth that takes place as the result of an occultation, as if it were a cosmic ritual. A ritual that takes place here out of necessity, not for entertainment. Those who live and ignore the essence of who they are, do so in a state of constant abandonment, eclipsed by the shadow of who they think they should be. A shadow which is made up of the unattainable, socially imposed conventions. When a beam of light blinds us, we close our eyes or cover them so that it does not reach us. We need that instant of shadow, in order to be able to see later. To discover our true essence. We disappear to be able to se(b)e the light that now enters where it was dark.
"Men are often taught to disguise the experience of vulnerability through the body, the language, and reason. Containment rituals within social norms. That is why learning to be grateful for vulnerability, accepting it, and lowering one's guard in order to be transformed by that very feeling of vulnerability can often be a source of frustration and unease for many men. The experience of pain connects us. Vulnerable, we are better. The day they told me about the oyster process, I was fascinated. They described to me in detail how the entrance of a grain of sand, an impurity, enters the oyster and is slowly worked on by the mollusc, transforming that sediment into a pearl over time. A deep and intimate effort that results in an irregular, brilliant and precious reconstruction. With this project I want to talk about all those vulnerable and sensitive men who surround me, helping me to believe and understand that another masculinity is possible and real. So that they recognize and thank each other for that continuous and incessant work of (re) building their pearl. I extend my ostric and marine tribute to all of them, so that they do not stop reconfiguring, respecting themselves and others, and reworking the system. Proud of having managed to process their own impurities. Crises open experimental and imaginary valves for us. Nature teaches us, let's not go against it."
Julieta Toribio
