Lugares Soberanos poses a sculptural problem through the transformation of a flat material (printed formica) into a three-dimensional volume that emulates marble. The installation consists of six Ionic columns made of cardboard and formica, materials commonly associated with the popular aesthetics of cafés, beauty salons, nightclubs, or urban bus stops.
The project takes as its starting point the ornamental language of everyday life to intervene in an institutional art space. By reproducing classical elements with inexpensive decorative materials, Lagos grants the work an apparent “status” that challenges notions of authenticity, taste, and legitimacy.
The piece offers an ironic take on cultural hierarchies, revealing how partial appropriations—characteristic of mestizo urban environments—generate new meanings. Lugares Soberanos does not mock kitsch; rather, it questions the rigidity of its exclusion, revealing its potential as a legitimate expression of popular culture.
