UCI stands for *Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos* (Intensive Care Unit); this performance takes those initials as a reference point for a process spanning several months, which emerged as a result of the global health crisis caused by COVID-19. The action unfolded in six stages, each taking place at different times, culminating in 2023.

The initial action took place on June 24, 2021; a second stage occurred in July, followed by two more in August of the same year. The performance concluded on December 28, 2023, in an outdoor setting—distinct from the original performance venue.
The actions unfolded in the following stages:

1) Initially, the public was invited to the space (Toro Art Studio), which featured an installation covering the entire floor and displaying various elements: a group of deceased figures to one side of the room, a patient in intensive care in the center, and a musician playing the violin in another section. The musical piece was composed specifically for this performance by musician Tom Swafford. The audience was free to move around the installation.

The action begins when the performer intervenes upon the "patient" located in the center of the room. This intervention involves the use of power tools, wax, and other materials. The audience keeps their distance from the action.

2) A new invitation was issued in July; on this occasion, the performer continued to work on the object—or "patient"—using wax as the primary material, alongside plaster and surgical gauze.

3) Subsequent gatherings marked the start of new stages in which the intervention on the patient was completed. The deceased, who had been placed to one side of the room, are taken to an open area and cremated—thereby mimicking the practices applied to COVID patients during the height of the health crisis.

4) Finally, the patient who had participated in the intervention is also cremated in 2023, thus bringing the performance to a close.

Performer: Damián Toro
Filming: David Salazar and Damián Toro
Photography: Andy Marggraff and David Salazar