LUZ MALA
Salvador Marino & Tomás Quiroga
«When someone encounters the Bad Light, they must say a prayer and bite the hilt of a knife or face it armed with a blade.»
«It is a soul in pain, wandering around in search of help and compassion. Some people believe it is a soul seeking a Christian burial.»
«Not even the bravest gaucho would pass near one without first taking off his hat and praying.»
«Where it appears, you should stick a dagger into the ground and then dig the next day… you will find gold and silver.»
«It’s a soul in pain that wants to reveal where it buried a treasure before it died.»
«Those who have ventured to dig below the light have found metal objects or indigenous pottery. Often, these are funerary urns that, when uncovered, release a deadly gas.»
«If the light comes to haunt someone, it becomes a death sentence for that person.»
Collected testimonies about the Bad Light phenomenon.
Exibited at:
[2025] Kunsthalle Ost - Leipzig (DE) _APR.10-JUN.20 <
[2024] UNTITLED - Berlin (DE) _JUN.07-20 <
Based on the legends of northern Argentina about encounters with manifestations of mysterious lights in the countryside, the artists developed a series of gleaming metal pieces playing with a personal imaginary of the Bad Light. Despite being a visual phenomenon, the Bad Light has rarely been represented or documented. It’s only because of the tradition of oral storytellers that this legend remains alive. The Bad Light crystallizes how pagan folkloric traditions of rural people syncretically merged with colonial christian beliefs and science.
*All rights reserved, ©Salvador Marino 2024