Laura Lima: The Drawing Drawing

In a small, undecorated room, I stand amongst a group of onlookers, staring at a set of keys on the floor. A human hand crawls out through a gap between the ground and a slightly-not-long-enough wall, attempting to reach the keys. As we collectively gawk, confounded by the flailing hand, a middle-aged American woman in a sharp trouser suit asks: ‘I wonder if we’re all being terribly English about this, by not getting involved?’ She then proceeds to drag the keys along the floor, causing the hand to chase after them, never allowing it close enough to catch. 

Believe it or not, we’re not the participants of some sort of University of Oxford social experiment, rather we are the voyeurs of ‘Ascenseur’, a work of art by the Brazilian artist Laura Lima. First conceived in 2013, it’s now on view in the ICA as part of a recently opened solo exhibition by Lima, spanning works from her repertoire, as well as a brand new commission from which the show, The Drawing Drawing, derives its title. 

This work, the centre piece of the show, sits just behind ‘Ascenseur’ in the space’s Lower Gallery. A sort of Alice In Wonderland take on a traditional life drawing class, ‘The Drawing Drawing’ comprises several easels with stools and a nude life model, all sitting on individual podiums which revolve and orbit around the room, constantly obscuring and changing the sitter’s view of the model. People are encouraged to take a seat and use the drawing utensils provided to sketch, after which they can leave their work in the room to become part of the exhibition. As someone who would struggle to draw even a two-dimensional apple whilst sitting static, I saved myself the embarrassment of attempting to contribute. I did, however, very much enjoy a sit-down on the drawing station-cum-bumping cars, observing the valiant attempts being sketched by my comrades.

Public interaction is key to nearly all elements of the exhibition, and so too is a belief that Lima says is central to her practice: everything moves. Even inanimate objects are subject to change, be it through rusting, breathing, vibrating, ageing, or smells. This hypothesis is best exemplified in the upstairs galleries, where you will find three works from the artist’s past, including one of her earliest works, ‘Congeladas [Frozen Images]’ which centres on a freezer of trays containing a number of three-dimensional artworks frozen in ice. Viewers are invited to take the trays out of the freezer and observe how they change as the ice slowly melts, thus warping their shape and composition. While conceptually interesting, if you have any sort of a gauge on the rate at which ice melts then you’ll understand how this is not so riveting in execution.

Also on show upstairs is the ‘The Wrong Drawing (2084)’, a woven work Lima began in 2018 which she predicts will not be considered complete until the year 2084, as per the title, due to how it will change due to conditions like temperature and humidity, and ‘Parasol Deux’. The latter piece takes the form of an upside-down garden umbrella which is motorised and, similarly to The Drawing Drawing’s easels and model, dances around the room in no discernible pattern. 

Lima’s work is high-concept, and it will not be everyone’s cup of tea. But it is also a lot of fun to try and make sense of as you make your way through this thoroughly original showcase from one of Brazil’s most intriguing contemporary artists.