Lacerate

Lacerate blends elements of realism with a dreamlike, symbolic dimension,

portraying the extreme decision of a woman who turns from victim into

executioner. Inspired by the iconography of mythological and biblical paintings

such as Artemisia Gentileschi’s Judith Slaying Holofernes, Rafa nonetheless

chooses to show the moment after the act of revenge—or self-defense—when the

dramatic climax is already over.

In a series of mises-en-scène shot only in natural light, we see a domestic setting

overrun by a pack of dogs that roam around restlessly, attacking objects and

furniture. The interior of this home is a mental space, violated and lacerated like a

body that has undergone violence. Fruit, game, and remnants of food are arranged

like still lifes, with allegorical elements evoking the precariousness of life and

the loss of innocence. It is a suspended, hostile ecosystem, where the brutality

suffered by other species is transferred by osmosis to human beings.

In the vision imagined by the artist, the hunting hounds and other dogs—which

were perhaps owned by the couple and witnessed the abusive relationship over

the years—have come back like ghosts from the past. Historically symbols of

loyalty to their master, the dogs here rebel and become the woman’s guardians,

supporting and protecting her in the process of liberation from her persecutor. It

is thus the irrational, animalistic part of the unconscious that has been unleashed,

allowing the woman to regain control over her life and save herself.

(Leonardo Bigazzi)