Antes Muerta… (Better Dead) (2025)

Experimental video artwork that I created as the culminating project of my internship with DMINTI. This project serves as a response to the themes explored in Laurie Simmons and Peter Wheelwright's "The Kaleidoscope (...) Bigger House" installation housed at the Miami Design District Atrium. It was exhibited during DMINTI's ATTENDANT ENGAGEMENTS NO. 1 group exhibition held on May 20, 2025 at the Melin Atrium.

In Spanish, a well-dressed woman will often say, “Antes muerta que sencilla”, which roughly translates to “Better dead than plain.” For some, it is a way to flaunt their dedication to looking good at all times. However, the phrase eerily confirms the dangerous lengths some ladies would go to uphold a beauty standard. High heels are a common article of clothing associated with higher levels of dress for women. While impractical and unhealthy, they are said to make the wearer feel more powerful and look absolutely stunning. It is this allure of the contradictory that this video artwork seeks to investigate. Borrowing from YouTube video essay conventions, Henriquez traces the connection between high heels and her mother, for whom the shoes have become a symbol of identity. The resulting message is not that heels are evil; rather, it poses the question of why pain is a prerequisite for a woman’s beauty.