What Does "Hidden Subject" Really Mean?
Let me tell share a grammar lesson of Portuguese to help you understand the concept behind this Urban Intervention. "Sujeito Oculto" -
meaning the "hidden pronoum subject" - it's a rule that gives you the power to write a sentence without naming the person executing the action, because the verb is enough to identify who is the main caracter on that case. The subject remains virtually present on the sentence, remaining as the main actor of the scene, but invisible over the structure.
(Eu) "Estou Aqui" = (I)"am here" . Giving you the fredom to omit the essencial actor of an expression, even though the person remains present.
This principle may be be applied towards cases of domestic violence over social enviroments. On most cases when someone is being verbally abused in front of others, they quite likely will become the hidden subject. Everyone sees the action, understands what's happening, but somehow the abuse and victim becomes invisible. We talk around them, about them, without them, but rarely take action to address the elephant in the room. These episodes may not be none of your business, but wirhout any intervention, they will be erased by the abuser, forgotten by who witnessed the violence, while it will remain over the victim memory.
The Genesis - The Day I Had To Protect My Identity
On Memorial Day of 2020, a good friend asked for my help to open his Fire Island house for that season, as the COVID lockdown delayed everything. Simple enough, and a task I always enjoyed, except that my ex-husband - somone who I'm still in the middle of a complex divorce - was living in that same small community.
Before parking shortly after passing by the harbor, I saw some familiar faces. So, I made a fast choice without thinking too much: I used the mandatory usage of masks, to cover my entire face using a scarf. Instead just covering my mouth and nose - every inch of my head was hidden. Complete coverage. Protection. Entering the ferry, people stared, scanned every inch of my body, like detectives looking for clues. Some looked scared. Others were clearly curious. Most were clearly hostile, scared of the faceless person invading their space.
That evening it hit me: Fire Island is the fantasy island where people has no issues on wearing the most discombobulate attires, why not apply the same creative principle creating elaborated masks - or just using anything that would cover my face completely? This would allow me to walk freely without fearing being targeted by my ex or any of his minions. That led me into a deep analisys that transpassed self identity, protection and what masks represented under different perspectives. But before I lose your attention, the point here, is that I perceived how this game of full on masks could be an interesting Urban Intervention, while no other place would offer me the same level of creative freedom as Fire Island.
Performance Protocol: Operational Framework
The transformation from protection mechanism to artistic urban intervention required strict adherence to established parameters:
- Complete facial coverage mandatory during every daylight departures from residential space
- Unique masks for each public appearance I may repeat materials or elements, but the structural configuration of each piece must be different
- Non-disclosure protocol no explanation or justification of about my choice of mask usage during the performance
- Mandatory social presence I always had to walk by areas with walking traffic, or gatherings of any kind - even if was just walk by the pantry or the commercial part of the island
- Physical protection of my identity without affecting any potential interaction with friends I met anywhere, but on any case, keeping my facial concealment
- Physical presence x virtual communication Any information regarding this urban intervention had to be communicated over my instagram page - my only channel of verbal communication for this project.
Testing ideas on my way back to the Fire Island
Testing the visual impact of a rubber mat as a mask
Loop scarfs are flexible and get comfortably on the face
Some ideas were discarted by not fufilling the concept set for the project
While others did not had the chance to be used due the abrupy interruption of this project
Testing new ways to use the leopard scarf from the first trip on the ferry
Conceptual Framework:
The performance was planned to revise the sophisticated masking systems used by DV victims - both literal and metaphorical - as an adaptive survival mechanism. These masks serve dual functions: protection from abusers and concealment of exposing the abuse endured to friends, family or members of the community. Some individuals may have witnessed the abuse but do not address those episodes, putting the bystandard mask - believing this is none of their business - becoming an accessory of abuse, by omission.
This silence the most important support for the last mask presented on this dynamic - the "good partner" used by the abuser. This mask created with calculated efforts, as losing this fake identity is probably the worst fear of controlling spouses.
Urban Intervention is a performance art that has a goal of disrupting the enviroment by bringing an element to desconstruct the status quo. Considering the reaction I received over the ferry by hiding my face in a short event, why not use this principle to incite a deeper debate regarding who is behind the mask to a why they need to hide their identity? Hoping to succeed on the main task of helping each actor to perceive their own masks - of being a victim, the abuser or a witness - so they may take action to stop the cycle of violence, or at least talk about it.
Cross Subjects Promoted Over This Urban Intervention
Domestic Violence victims experience different formats of abuse, while some of those episodes take place over public spaces, or around people, but on most cases, no one interject to cease the abusive behavior. This silence gaslight the victim into believe this behavior is not problematic and feel isolated, passible of this behavior without alternartives to stop this aggression.
As result victims pass to adopt a mask, promoting a diiferent reality from what they experience on regular basis, what may be a physical construction with makeup to hide bruises, or clothes to keep the evidence covered. For those suffering from Emotional and Psychological forms of abuse, the mask is more elaborated, presenting a different persona romancizing the abuser.
Over this performance the main caracther is the abused victim, hiden under masks to be kept safe from his abuser, hiding his social identity from the crowd. The construction of the masks try to use simbols of elements that victims usually use to ease the life with constant abuse, such as faith, style, structure and fitness.
But the main goal of this performace was to have individuals perceivig their own masks, used every time they ignore a abuse behaviors, or even helping someone to see their own maks identifying their own abusive behaviors.
This is a game of hide and seek, where social circles must remove the masks of the abuser and the victim - somethinig that represent a mutual win, for everyone involved. But on most cases, the choice is to sustain the role play game ignoring their position to allow evryone to stop hiding. Raising the problematic stablished by the abusive partner and silencing the victim by not raising questions
The Multi-Layered Symbolism of Masks
The Proposed Stages of This Performance
4 modules:
- 1st - Introduction Familiarize the presence of the masks around the community, introducting this persona as an element of this universe
- 2nd - Transision Evolve into a disruptive exagerated concept focused on getting attention on the wrong way
- 3rd Revelation Let the mask be uncovered - present what's behind this alegory
- 4th Closure Invite the audience to gather feedback about this performance, and discuss the impact of domestic violence, to collect data for the final report measuring this initiative
Module 1 - should be focused on discuss Identity, under the perspective that victims lose themselves to impersonate someone defined by the abuser.
Module 2 - The disruptive process of rebuit your persona in a world that doesn't recoginze your essence.
Module 3 and 4 - The first step into what's next blending a healing process and courage to face what's next.
The Tragic Recognition
"Playing with the exaggeration of styles as a cry for help, or attempt to get the attention of those who watch, but no one looks deep enough to see what's behind the colors or why there's a mask there."
People saw quirky art project where there was survival performance. The more elaborate the mask, the more invisible the pain became. The hidden subject remained hidden.
Evolution of community understanding - from curiosity to recognition to dangerous awareness
The Violent Interruption
Exactly when the audience began to understand the premise and interact with the art, my ex-husband acted against me, forcing the abrupt termination of "Sujeito Oculto."
The silencing was not coincidental - it happened precisely when the hidden subject was becoming visible.
Documentation of the project's violent interruption - art silenced at the moment of breakthrough
Historical Context
- Ana Mendieta's works addressing violence against women (later killed by her artist husband)
- Adrian Piper's "Mythic Being" persona as identity protection
- Tehching Hsieh's endurance performances interrupted by external forces
- Tania Bruguera's censored political performances
The Portuguese Connection
"Sujeito Oculto" carries linguistic precision - in Portuguese grammar, the hidden subject is understood but not stated. In domestic violence:
- The victim's experience = Hidden but essential to understanding the situation
- The abuser's control = Visible actions, invisible motivations
- Community response = Surface engagement, hidden willful blindness
Materials as Metaphor
Using whatever was available reflected resource scarcity of abuse situations:
- Improvised protection from everyday objects
- Creative necessity born from limitation
- Beautiful surfaces masking desperate circumstances
The Forced Ending
The project's violent termination became its most powerful statement:
- Artistic freedom silenced by intimate partner violence
- Community engagement interrupted by private control
- Hidden subject forced back into invisibility
- The abuser's ultimate power - to stop the story being told
Legacy and Evolution
"Sujeito Oculto" established core artistic philosophy:
- Identity as survival strategy rather than fixed concept
- Art as protection mechanism
- Community intervention through aesthetic means
- Transformation as resistance to erasure
The Interrupted Narrative
The project's forced ending proves its thesis - that hidden subjects remain vulnerable even when they find voice. But the documentation survived, and the artistic practice evolved.
From "Sujeito Oculto" came:
- Mutable identity exploration in digital work
- Melted flag series (symbols under pressure)
- Camera stat photography (hidden worlds in plain sight)
- Dynamic website identity (refusing fixed categorization)
The Current Work
Every subsequent project carries DNA from "Sujeito Oculto":
- Protection through transformation
- Visibility despite vulnerability
- Community engagement on artist's terms
- Resistance to control through creative practice
The hidden subject is no longer hidden - but remains protected through artistic evolution.