A place only we know
In all forms of dissident life, the body has always been a tool of action, a vehicle through which to claim a space or claim a right. For all these alternative identities, the use of the body becomes a symbolic way of existing in a normative world. Bodies have meanings and their exposure carries consequences. However, putting the body in danger is not always linked to risk and can be realised by pushing the limits of its pleasure and navigating through new experiences of desire. Pleasure and desire are powerful tools for rebellion, and it is in this joyful rebellion that João Gabriel's paintings invite us to delve.