Julia Sbriller and Joaquin Wall

Julia Sbriller, Joaquin Wall, TORONTOIDES, 2019. Single-channel video, 2 min. Selected by Fundación Proa, Buenos Aires, Argentina

In geometry, torus is a surface of revolution generated by a closed curve rotating around an axis. The torus is said to be the only energetic or dynamic pattern that can sustain itself and that is made of the same substance as its environment. A video performance by the Argentine duo Julia Sbriller and Joaquín Wall in collaboration with Roco Corbould, TORONTOIDES reflects on the body that contains us: The planet, its hemispheres, its magnetic fields, and its mysteries. It draws on the individual and collective possibilities of challenging the physical properties between the liquid and the solid, gravity and non-Newtonian surfaces, wondering on how to unite the opposite poles of the planet travelling through an inner passage of Earth.

This project was originally presented for the exhibition Division of Labor at the Art Gallery of Burlington, Great Toronto Area, Canada, curated by Suzanne Carte, in 2020 and counted with the support of the Fondo Nacional de Las Artes, Argentina.

Where are you from and how did you become interested in moving image work?

We are a multidisciplinary nomadic duo from Argentina. We are interested in video as a media that drives us into imagining actions and spaces, as a way to create, experience, and register our own imaginary realities. Video, as a moving image, translates perfectly the feeling we aim to create both for the spectators and the participants in the production of each piece.

What inspired/influenced you to make the work?

For TORONTOIDES, we were particularly inspired by the torus and a new potential connection between both hemispheres of the planet. In geometry, torus is a surface of revolution generated by a closed curve rotating around an axis. The torus is said to be the only energetic pattern that can sustain itself and that is made of the same substance as its environment. With TORONTOIDES, we wanted to sculpt the planet into a huge toroid, from Argentina (where the piece was produced) to Canada (where the piece was first shown). We were also inspired by the possibilities of visually challenging the physical properties between the liquid and the solid, gravity and non-Newtonian surfaces. We are always thinking about the body that contains us: The planet, its hemispheres, its magnetic fields, and its mysteries.

Julia Sbriller (Argentinian, b. 1986) and Joaquin Wall (Argentinian, b. 1986) are a multidisciplinary duo based in Argentina. Their work, essentially hybrid and experimental, draws on a variety of mediums, including performance, architecture, sculpture, choreography, video, and installation. Sbriller and Wall work in relation to the individual and collective body, the properties of light and matter, and the limits of physical laws. They are interested in producing work that can bring physical experiences to both audience and participants, as new possibilities of encounter and physical interactions. Their work centers around the possibilities of human beings to collectively connect with each other and individually (un)identify and transform themselves; this way they intuitively research new forms and possibilities to communicate, encounter, and live together.

Their work has been exhibited in Swab Barcelona Art Fair (ES), Buenos Aires Photo (AR), Fundación Proa (AR), Munar Arte (AR), Art Gallery of Burlington (AR), Bendita Tu Fest Barcelona (ES). They are currently represented by Quimera Galería, in Buenos Aires, Argentina.