From Marx's ‘the rich do not sweat’ to Instagram's ‘clean girls’: sweat as a marker of class and biopolitical control
En su libro ‘Sudor’, la artista Mariela Sancari investiga la historia sociopolítica, religiosa y filosófica del líquido salino que termorregula el cuerpo
In the thought-provoking work "Sudor" by Mariela Sancari, the author explores the significance of sweat as a marker of social class and biopolitical control. Sancari, a 50-year-old artist from Buenos Aires, is drawn to films featuring characters sweating in extraordinary situations, not just those that are culturally acceptable, such as working, exercising, or engaging in sexual activities.
"I adore scenes where sweat brings shame or puts someone in trouble because it allows us to think about and discuss it," she explains, the author of "Sudor," a compelling analysis that blends autobiographical storytelling, essays, poetry, and photographic experimentation with her own sweat to discuss this liquid that regulates our body temperature and has shaped her existence.
Sancari's work challenges the notion that wealth and cleanliness are markers of social status, highlighting how sweat can serve as a more revealing indicator. Through her exploration of sweat, she invites readers to reconsider the ways in which societal values and control are intertwined with the physical manifestations of our bodies, urging a deeper examination of the biopolitical implications behind these markers of class.
Written by urgent.news from El Pais's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
