In Los términos del juego (The Terms of the Game), Miler Lagos presents a critical reflection on the notion of reality and how it is culturally constructed. Through an installation that combines carved paper, sketches of Leonardo da Vinci’s war machines, and two-colored plastic balls, the artist deconstructs the conventions that shape our understanding of the world.
The installation inverts the logics of weight and lightness: blocks of paper (seemingly heavy) are used to simulate walls; while the light balls evoke war projectiles. By stacking them in opposing pyramids, Lagos creates a scene that oscillates between play and confrontation. Da Vinci’s drawings, stamped on the blocks, function as both a visual and conceptual matrix: alluding to non-functional machines, they reinforce the idea that representation is also a battlefield.
The work suggests that if the very concept of “the real” is a cultural construct, so too are the notions of conflict, power, and truth. Los términos del juego is activated in the gaze of the viewer, highlighting how the ways in which we represent things ultimately shape the structures we use to act in society.
