Maya Pita-Romero Explores the Gum Rockrose and Domestic Rituals at El Chico, Madrid
In Madrid, Maya Pita-Romero presents her exhibition at El Chico, centering on the gum rockrose (Cistus ladanifer), a plant from her youth in the Sierra de Madrid. Known for its resin, which is associated with fire and poor soil conditions, this plant yields labdanum, historically significant in perfumes and medicine. Pita-Romero's art delves into the dynamics between humans and non-humans, exploring themes of care, extraction, and knowledge through the physical body, highlighting both tenderness and violence. The exhibition incorporates materials such as latex, textile, plastic, and copper, featuring domestic items that invoke communal dining rituals. Influenced by Silvia Federici's Caliban and the Witch and the writings of Audre Lorde, the pieces critique the home as a space of ingrained labor division and domination, emphasizing bodily functions over repair.
Key facts
- Maya Pita-Romero's exhibition is on view at El Chico in Madrid.
- The show centers on the gum rockrose (Cistus ladanifer), a plant of the Sierra de Madrid.
- The rockrose's resin yields labdanum, historically used in perfumes, incense, and medicine.
- Labdanum was traditionally collected from sheep and goat wool or with an oversized comb.
- Pita-Romero's materials include latex, textile, plastic, multilayer pipe, rockrose infusion, and copper.
- The exhibition features domestic objects such as curtains, household textiles, and tables.
- The artist references Silvia Federici's Caliban and the Witch and writings by Audre Lorde.
- Chiron, the wounded healer, serves as a productive contradiction in the exhibition's logic.
Entities
Artists
- Maya Pita-Romero
- Silvia Federici
- Audre Lorde
- Chiron
- Javi
Institutions
- El Chico
Locations
- Madrid
- Spain
- Sierra de Madrid