Nicolau Spadoni and Hana Cruz: Sur Peaux et Boyaux

Exhibition Abstract

Sur Peaux et Boyaux brings together two distinct yet resonant bodies of work that explore the intersection of the technical, the living, and the body. In this collaborative exhibition, the internal meets the external: Hana Beth Cruz's photographs of tubular infrastructures and gory "mirror selfie" paintings depict the eerie similarity of building infrastructure and human organs, while Nicolau Spadoni's (Ph.D. '26) polaroids, with their focus on surfaces, seem to align with the idea of skin—bare, flat, also shedding and transient.

The works, while formally divergent, share a core idea: the transformation of technical objects into living entities. Cruz's imagery of the innards of the human body, juxtaposed with film images of exposed building infrastructure, suggests a reflection of human biology in man-made infrastructure, inviting viewers to see infrastructure as organic, evolving forms. In contrast, Spadoni emphasizes how polaroids frustrate notions of permanence and reliability; they are erratic, temperamental, and fleeting, much like fragile living beings. Despite their mechanical nature, they embody an unforeseeable life of their own, changing and also decaying over time.

The exhibition's French title, "Sur Peaux et Boyaux" ("On Skins and Guts"), not only captures this thematic duality but also reflects the collaborative nature of the process. As they worked together, Cruz and Spadoni stumbled upon their shared knowledge of French, mirroring how their separate artistic practices started to speak the same language—one that probes beneath the surface while also respecting its limits.

Exhibitor Biographies

Hana Cruz (B.F.A. '25) (b. 2003) is a New York City born multimedia artist who specializes in drawing, painting, and photography. Her work spans themes from mythology and religion to technology and queerness, but it overarchingly features the human body as a form to explore these ideas. Currently, she is fixated on photographing exposed building infrastructure in black and white film, which highlights the forms of pipes beautifully.

Nicolau Spadoni (b. 1993) is a Brazilian photographer and doctoral candidate in the German Studies department at Cornell University. Having started as a fashion and editorial photographer since his move to the United States, he has been venturing further into a varying array of fine art projects and series.