Interview
In Conversation with Tomas Reyes
The sculptor on found industry, repair and second lives.
29 Jun 2026 · Fardokht Gorouhi · Marseille, March 2026 · 1 min read
We met in Reyes's studio, a former workshop near the port, surrounded by motors waiting to be given a second life.
Your works often begin as discarded machines. What draws you to them?
A machine at rest still hums with everything it could do. I'm interested in that held potential — the dignity of a thing that worked hard and was thrown away.
There is a strong sense of repair in the work.
Repair is a political act. To mend something is to refuse the logic that says it is disposable. My sculptures are arguments for keeping things.
What are you making next?
A series of quiet engines — pieces that move almost imperceptibly. I want the gallery to feel like it is breathing.
Repair is a political act.