Mendieta’s practice explores themes of intimacy, queerness and the complexities of human connections.

The ‘Hedgehog’s Dilemma’ is a series inspired by Rene Magritte’s painting of ‘The Lovers’. The photographs depict two men nude from the waist up wearing masks constructed out of black latex and metal spikes that create a barrier between them.

The title ‘Hedgehog’s Dilemma’ references philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer’s metaphor comparing humans to hedgehogs (and porcupines). The work is about a paradox of intimacy where humans desire closeness and intimacy in the same way hedgehog’s crave warmth in the winter months, but just as hedgehog’s spikes can prick each other, individuals must maintain a distance to prevent the risk of harm.