Opening of the exhibition: «Shooting star and heart» by M. Benito Píriz

The exhibition grew out of a drawing of a heart bursting out of the chest, pushing through the skin and T-shirt. An image that evokes the graphic portrayal of a lover who wears their heart on their sleeve, vulnerable and open. A fleeting impulse that, in an instant, can be contained, concealed or disappear.

Shooting star and heart is both the title and the outcome of an exploration of the forces of projection and restraint. Benito sees projection as a fleeting force that propels the body outwards, and lending itself to change, discovery and confrontation. An impulse that bursts forth like a shooting star, fading as the body tires or the emotion subsides. Restraint, by contrast, works inwards, regulating, holding and absorbing in a heartfelt, steadfast effort to guard and protect.

Doing things —from the heart— means choosing sensitivity and allowing emotion to become part of the movement, and having an outburst opens up the space needed to transform, move forward and continue shaping oneself. Indeed, M. Benito adopts a hybrid starting point: a fleeting heart that exposes and restrains itself at the same time. Rather than opposing concepts, projection and restraint both play a part in shaping an ever-evolving identity. Similarly, the works that make up the exhibition emerge from a constant exchange between outburst and protection, exposure and refuge, aggression and affection.