AUTOMATON

February 20, 1999
Quito, Ecuador

Location: Humboldt Association, Quito

This performance also serves as an experimental model of poetic interpretation. The poetry book titled *Autómaton* was also presented on the day of this event. The performance thus represents a shift from the written word—it is, to a certain extent, poetry put into action.

The performance took place in an alternative space that had previously served as a theater. The installation consisted of the following elements: candles, a concrete-block wall, a labyrinth also constructed from blocks, and three computer stations displaying phrases and images continuously. The performance also involved distributing pieces of iron to the audience.

The sequence begins with performer Elizabeth Vinueza moving through the labyrinth in a near-mechanical fashion, until she calls someone from the audience to step onto the stage and join the action. Once this occurs, the main actor moves through the space, adopting various postures, performing movements, interacting with the audience, and so on. When the main lights go out, performer Damián Toro begins to smash the block wall with an iron bar. Upon completing this act of destruction, he leaves the space, and the performance concludes.

Performers: Damián Toro, Elizabeth Vinueza
Filming: Olvia Hidalgo

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