Francisco Trêpa’s (Lisbon, 1995) artistic practice explores the interconnections between life forms, metamorphosis, and hybridism. Gall Ball is inspired by the observation of galls found in CAM’s Garden, where the artist first encountered these biological reactions resulting from interactions between plants (such as oaks) and external agents (such as wasps). The effect is a swelling growth on the outside of the plant, providing nutrition and shelter to induce insects.

Trêpa’s fascination stems from the way galls dissolve the tension between interior and exterior, host and parasite, autonomy and symbiosis. Far from being mere defensive reactions, they represent spaces of transformation and biological empathy – microcosms in which the plant, without apparent direct benefit, hosts the presence of the other. In this gesture of natural hospitality, the artist sees a possible inversion of survivalist logic, pointing instead to cooperation as a vital force in life-affected relationships.

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The ‘ball’ in the title points to a general rehearsal performed by Trêpa’s constellation of ceramic sculptures. The gallery is understood as an extension of the studio, with a space dedicated to production where the artist will be creating and finishing works. The process of physical and chemical transformation through which clay gives way to ceramics is made visible in the sculptures presented at different stages of the process: raw, unglazed, uncoloured and finished. Over the course of the exhibition, these forms reveal distinct moments of this crystallization, thus manifesting a body in continuous transmutation until it reaches its irreversible condition.

‘Gall Ball’ serves as the prologue to ‘Institution(ing)s’ and is developed within the framework of the protocol between CAM and the international academic programme The Lisbon Consortium (MA and PhD in Culture Studies) at the Faculty of Human Sciences, Universidade Católica Portuguesa. The curatorial team comprises students from the Curatorial Practices course in the MA in Culture Studies.

‘Gall Ball’ includes an associated program that includes visits, workshops, and other activities.

‘Institution(ing)s’ is funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.