Praia 19 series

In the Praia 19 series, Arango digitally reconstructed the dunes and vegetation of Praia 19 in Lisbon using 3D modeling software, transforming the site into a fabricated landscape. Within this terrain, he situates narratives drawn from encounters at the beach—some directly experienced, others observed from a distance. The paintings function as theatrical environments: at times suspended in outer space and anchored by monumental marble architectural forms, at others unfolding from the viewpoint of a spectator watching a staged scene.

Blending personal memory with a speculative, sci-fi sensibility, Praia 19 becomes a space where desire, fantasy, and acts of observation intersect. Through the series, Arango reflects on—and works to normalize—forms of experience deeply familiar to him yet frequently rendered invisible or misread within dominant heterosexual frameworks.