Erratic | 4. [Geology] That which was transported from far away or which is not native to the nature of the terrain in which it is found (e.g.: erratic block; erratic rocks).
— Priberam Dictionary of the Portuguese Language
It is important to understand the meaning of this word, erratic; without it, it becomes difficult for us to read this exhibition. This is a project that is born from a joint work in which authorship and individuality walk side by side, and become blurred as the gaze advances. Images of rocky formations coexist with archival images from both authors, without distinction of authorship, linked by affinities of form, texture, and even by the same process of decontextualization.
The starting point for this exhibition is the Alto Vez Glacial Valley, in the region of Viana do Castelo, still bearing vestiges of the glacial era, with large rocks scattered across the slopes, deposited and transported by glaciers, where they remain outside their place of origin, carrying with them an idea of solitude and permanence. The notion of the erratic runs through the entire project, from blocks out of place to images out of place.
The work develops through analog methods, in black and white, also exploring the support of the image. The photographs are printed on stone — granite, marble, and schist — making the image cease to be merely a surface and become a body, turning into an extension of itself.
The exhibition takes place in a climbing gym, outside the habitual gallery context, reinforcing the erratic character of the project. Rocks, images, and bodies in motion share the same gesture: the displacement from their origin.
Mariana Frazão, December 2025
The works presented in this catalogue are unique, signed pieces available for acquisition, and are on view at São Rock Climbing through April 17th, 2025.