Amoebiasis or vegetables 

Editor: So, here we have Remedios Varo's piece called "Amoebiasis or vegetables." It's an intriguing painting, almost a surrealist still life with these little horned figures marching around. It’s a bit unsettling and humorous at the same time. How do you interpret this work? Curator: What strikes me immediately is Varo's use of surrealism to perhaps critique societal norms. The "amoebiasis" in the title points to a parasitic invasion, but visualized as these tiny figures with what appear to be miniature scythes on top of...are those vegetables? It really challenges our relationship with the natural world. Is she perhaps commenting on the way we consume, control, and ultimately destroy nature for our own purposes? Editor: That’s interesting. I hadn’t thought about it as a critique of consumption. I was more focused on the figures themselves – their expressions and their little weapons seem more comical than threatening. Curator: Perhaps. But Varo was deeply engaged with feminist thought and esoteric symbolism. We have to ask, are these comical figures truly harmless, or do they represent something insidious masked by cuteness? Consider how societal structures, especially patriarchal ones, often maintain power through seemingly innocuous means. Editor: So, you’re saying the painting could be an allegory for hidden power dynamics, with these tiny figures representing larger forces at play? Curator: Exactly! It is important to reflect upon how she juxtaposes those figures, both sinister and ridiculous, within what appears as a familiar landscape: food on our table. Where does that sense of discomfort that you perceive originate, do you think? Editor: Wow, I see it differently now. It’s not just a quirky image; it's a commentary on the invasion of nature and the unsettling power structures inherent in everyday life. I had not considered a feminist reading. Thank you! Curator: Precisely, it encourages a dialogue that goes beyond the surface to expose hidden narratives of power, identity and control within an apparently benign artwork.