Starting August 8, Aura presents Bauci: the city and the eyes, a new solo exhibition by Érica Magalhães, with a curatorial essay by Tatiana Ferraz. Bringing together a collection of recent sculptures created specifically for this occasion, the exhibition is the result of the artist’s research into the relationships between matter, balance, and the symbolic structures embedded in everyday objects.

Known for bringing together materials of seemingly irreconcilable natures, Érica Magalhães creates sculptures in which porcelain supports heavy concrete blocks, subverting expectations associated with strength and fragility. This balance, however, stems from an extensive knowledge of materials, developed over years of research in her studio.

As Tatiana Ferraz notes, porcelain and concrete share a similar origin—both transition from a liquid state to a solid structure—but take on opposing roles when brought together in sculptures. “Despite the rigidity of both materials, they coexist in tension, one on top of the other, as if the sculpture were on the verge of collapsing,” writes the curator.