Passerelle (2005)

“Seeing this piece by Joana Vasconcelos at the MAAT in Lisbon was a treat. It's been a while since I've been so moved by a piece of participatory art. From the MAAT website: For this presentation, Vasconcelos’ Passerelle (2005), from the EDP Foundation Collection, was selected. The work consists of a mechanical structure reminiscent of industrial machinery, featuring a procession of earthenware dogs suspended by the neck. Visitors are invited to activate the mechanism via a foot pedal, setting in motion a repetitive cycle that results in the noisy destruction of the pieces. The title references the world of fashion while simultaneously alluding to the latent violence of obsolescence and consumption, turning the mechanical gesture into a reflection on contemporary society. I found a video of it in action here:”