WATCH YOUR STEP is a warning, a premonition of what might happen along the way. Drawing on this familiar expression, Ríos creates an animation that explores, through humor and the grotesque, the steps we take and the decisions we make, along with their possible consequences.

The cowboy boot becomes the central symbol of a narrative that draws on the visual and cinematic language of the Western. Exaggerated feet, extra toes, anatomical deformities, and battered limbs create a universe in which skin, bones, and bandages merge. These deliberately grotesque images give rise to absurd and humorous situations: a worm consuming white powder while a brawl unfolds in the background, or a dog spinning until it disappears into an endless tornado.

The animation unfolds at a dizzying pace, with a succession of events that makes it difficult to grasp every detail at first glance. The viewer is drawn into an unpredictable visual experience, where bewilderment and humor accompany each unfolding scene.

The project originates in painting. Each composition, focused on feet and set against scenes evocative of rural landscapes, forms part of a storyboard that is subsequently brought to life through analog animation techniques. Ríos revisits the traditional process of frame-by-frame animation, emphasizing the materiality of the image and the artist’s direct involvement in its creation.

This approach also reflects a conscious position in response to current transformations in visual production. At a time when artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly prevalent, WATCH YOUR STEP reaffirms the value of manual craftsmanship and the enduring presence of the painter’s gesture as an essential part of the creative process.

About the artist

Miguel Angel Ríos (San José Norte, Catamarca, Argentina, 1943) is a prominent figure in contemporary Latin American art. His practice encompasses painting, drawing, installation, and video art, through which he has developed a distinctive visual language rich in symbolism.

His international recognition grew with A Morir (Till Death), a three-channel video installation in which black and white spinning tops engage in a confrontation that evokes the dynamics of colonialism, globalization, and power relations. Since then, Ríos has continued to explore social tensions, violence, and the uncertainties of the human condition through visual narratives that combine movement, chance, and metaphor.

His work has been exhibited at major international institutions, including the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, the Museo Reina Sofía in Madrid, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and MALBA in Buenos Aires. His works are held in important collections, including those of MACBA in Barcelona, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C., and the Daros Latinamerica Collection in Zurich.

WATCH YOUR STEP, 2026
Miguel Angel Ríos
Video, 4 min
16:9, HD projection

LOOP Fair 2026
17–19 November 2026
Almanac Barcelona
Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, 619–621, Barcelona