Antipodos, since 2018

One of the most striking features of the series of sculptures known as the Antipodos is their inverted feet. Presented since 2018 in various positions—walking erect, posing seated or lounging—these figures hold their heads high projecting confidence and poise. In fact, the ideas of both self-reliance and the assertion of difference are key to these works.

The Antipodos are representations of antipodes, a term that first emerged in antiquity to describe both locations and imagined inhabitants of areas geographically opposite to the western world. During the early modern period these people were often depicted as having one foot or inverted feet, as in the so-called Chronicle of Nuremberg of 1493. This illustrated encyclopedia was published just one year after Christopher Columbus seemingly reached the antipodes with his expedition to America, which reignited interest in the concept as Europeans directly contended with civilizations other than their own. Within a Eurocentric vision of the world, these images of antipodes with backwards feet reinforced prevailing hierarchical attitudes towards non-Europeans. Around the same time, however, myths and folklore emerged around South America featuring figures with inverted feet that critically reappropriated this stereotype. In Brazil, for instance, the so-called Curupira is a legendary character who protects forests and animals by leaving trails of inverted footprints destined to confuse hunters and explorers.

Argote’s Antipodos speak to this legacy of South American folkloric resistance through their proud stances and assured demeanor. Whether they are seated in repose or actively walking up monuments and buildings (as they were in Nantes in 2025), the Antipodos boldly assert their presence within the world. Difference is reconfigured as abundant potential rather than insufficiency. Despite their varying dimensions, the Antipodos lack individualizing facial features, and in so doing, convey a sense of universalism inherent in the antipodal attitude as conceived by the artist.