The shrines of the Seven Hills

Los Siete Mogotes Nichos (2013), or The Shrines of the Seven Hills consist of seven cabinets, each containing a unique animation cycle. The series depicts a group of salvaged Baroque 17th century wood sculptures from Santa Ana Zegache, Oaxaca, Mexico.  This “slow animation” technique is a unique aesthetic expression that Performing Pictures created and refined over years of work. The animations were shot in open-air daylight using a homebuilt pinhole camera, exposing directly onto 4 x 5 inch sheets of photographic paper (Ilford grade II).  They were recorded image-by-image with exceedingly long time exposures and unpredictable diffractive light properties on moving 3-dimensional objects and rugged textures. Due to the time consuming process, the sun became a protagonist as it moved across the sky – a complete day cycle for each animation. The frame around the screen, as well as the doors of each shrine is made of corrugated tin, recycled from private houses in the village of Santa Ana.