Maite De Orbe’s photography explores ritual, sensuality and sacred spaces
Maite De Orbe’s photography exhibition “A Moment Opposite to Blindness” explores ritual and intimacy against a backdrop of London’s queer scene and rural Mexico. The show features raw, unframed images and performances that invite viewers to engage with art beyond commodification. De Orbe’s work addresses issues of agency within the context of sex work, while cars in her images evoke emotional undercurrents of suspended violence. The exhibition runs until June 2025 at Miłość Gallery.
Maite De Orbe, a Spanish-born artist now based in London, is making waves with her latest photography show titled “A Moment Opposite to Blindness”. This exhibition is not your typical display of works; rather, it resembles a kind of séance, blending her experiences between London’s queer strip-club scene and the ceremonial remnants of rural Mexico. Opened at Miłość Gallery, the show features a live performance where two people embraced under a white cloth, with De Orbe tracing their forms in coal.
Reflecting on her art’s genesis, De Orbe recalls her father’s informal photographic practices, which ignited her passion for capturing moments. As a child, she would delve into his cupboards, captivated by the family photos that detailed her childhood. This background influences her current work, which pushes against commodification – a key point in her exhibition, where one of the featured pieces isn’t even for sale.
A powerful image from a ritual at a Mexican ceremonial site resonates with her artists’ intent. De Orbe noted how the camera malfunctioned while she took a picture, causing her to see the experience as ‘charged’. She remarked, “The space rejected being recorded. So I honoured that. The photograph is here, but it’s not owned. It shouldn’t be.” This philosophy defines the entire exhibition, seen in how she opts to display her photos raw-edged and tacked directly onto the walls.
De Orbe’s aesthetic embodies a kind of precariousness, emphasising that images ought to mirror life’s fragility. She states, “I didn’t want protection. Life is precarious. So the image should be too.” This approach intertwines with how queer bodies are presented in art – vulnerable yet deeply resonant. The exhibition encourages viewers to engage with images on a sensory level, moving away from consumption.
Her work doesn’t stage or craft narratives but instead archives what exists in the world. “Life comes first,” she declares, “Art just traces it.” Hence, her photography acts more as invocation rather than mere representation, leading to an experience devoid of fixed narratives, but instead, an unfolding presence that envelops the sacred and erotic dimensions of life.
De Orbe’s integration into London’s lesbian strip club scene fuels her art with intimacy that resists the objectification often seen in mainstream representations. Amid discussions in the UK government about sex work legalities, her photography emerges as a quiet resistance. It shifts the dialogue towards agency and care, challenging the dominant narratives that often commodify these lived experiences.
Interestingly, cars have their place in De Orbe’s portfolio – they frequently appear, whether crashed or stalled, conveying a sense of suspended violence. “I’m obsessed with them,” she admits, acknowledging the emotional undercurrents tied to these vehicles. Unlike Warhol’s silk-screens of car accidents, which desensitized viewers, De Orbe’s cars are intimate and specific, charged with a lingering emotional residue.
This is not about spectacle but about creating space for remembrance and complexity. Laura Marks might call this “haptic visuality” – an invitation for the audience to look closely, allowing ambiguity and sensuality to weave through their observations.
In a world that often demands art to clarify or symbolize, De Orbe subverts expectations by letting her works simply exist. Her character-driven pieces, whether depicting a Dominican ballroom or a crumbling ceremonial space, prioritise presence over legibility. Maite De Orbe’s transformative exhibition, “A Moment Opposite to Blindness,” is set to run until 1 June 2025 at Miłość Gallery.
Maite De Orbe’s exhibition “A Moment Opposite to Blindness” engages with complex themes of ritual and representation, firmly situating itself against commodification. With her vulnerable photographic practices rooted in a deep understanding of intimacy, the show challenges viewers to reconsider their relationship to the images. The focus on presence over explanation invites a transformative experience, showcasing De Orbe’s significant contributions to contemporary art and her resistance against prevailing narratives surrounding sex work and identity. The exhibition continues at Miłość Gallery until June 2025.
Original Source: www.dazeddigital.com
