.jpg)
In Memoriam
Erika Mayoral, 2020
Video performance, 5:36 min.
A small tribute to all those who passed away during the global COVID-19 pandemic. Recognizing that mass deaths have a profound purpose for those of us who continue to breathe on this earth. No, they are not just numbers; they are important people to their loved ones, and therefore their lives and deaths were not in vain.
Balm
Erika Mayoral, 2020
Video performance, 3:03 min.
Honey has been attributed with divine properties since ancient times; therefore, honey "deifies," meaning that it somehow connects one with the divine, transmitting its most precious attributes. On her birthday, the artist decided to give herself the gift of bathing in honey, using it as a balm to heal both physically and energetically any wound or sore, both bodily and spiritual, to close cycles and open herself to new paths. At the same time, she gave herself all the love she could, given the reality of the global pandemic where touching and hugging were prohibited, allowing her to do the exact opposite, satisfying a pressing kinesthetic need. The relationship between the honey, her body, and the space where this act took place was intimate, yet undoubtedly profound, a connection amplified by the video editing.
Reconciliation
Erika Mayoral, 2015
Video performance recording, 13:04 min.
This action took place in the unique Alchichica Lagoon in Puebla, Mexico, a specific location where the artist's intuition led her to create a performance in homage to her family tree. This allowed her to connect symbolically, but above all energetically, with her paternal and maternal ancestors. In this way, she was able to energetically feel the presence of those who had been excluded, ask for forgiveness, and feel compassion for their stories. The artist gave thanks and honored their lives from the heart, achieving a profound and tender reconciliation, a return to the origin of her own life. This allowed her to gather strength and embark on a new chapter with the blessing of her ancestors, their unconditional love, and the unique energy of the lagoon.
River Healing
Erika Mayoral, 2014
Video performance recording, 6:30 min.
This site-specific performance, part of the Experimental Biosphere | Action Art project, involved a walk along the riverbanks in the Desierto de los Leones Ecological Reserve. During the walk, Mayoral collected trash she found and placed it on a purple cloth. From the outset, she established an energetic connection with the four elements (water, fire, air, and earth) to facilitate this purification. Along the way, she made four stops, immersing her feet in the water and chanting healing mantras to the river and the forest, invoking the elementals, as the cleansing was not only physical but also energetic. The climax occurred when the artist fully immersed herself in a waterfall, where she underwent a purification of all things: her own being, the trash, the entire space, and the four elements. The connection with the place and the people who accompanied her during the recording of this performance was profoundly intimate and moving.