ALQUIMIA (NA TASCA) | Nelson Cardoso | Opening: March 11th 2017, Saturday 18h | Until May 7th 2017
Because the times have changed. Everyone can now do “extraordinary” things and stand in the ramp lights.
In this sense the ordinary situation of Nelson’s Tasca is extraordinary:
Normal condition instead of excitement. Absence of wars and kings
The exhibition “populates” the Ermida – as a resemblance or direct opposition to a Tasca - as a place of “cult" is historically witnessing every moment of the society with its inhabitants, incognito- common-occasional passing by people and accidental tourists. Formerly a place of communication and outburst among anonymous (or not) people now living a “collective indifference”, generated by the new media in each pocket (or bag), filling the space with a deafening silence which is only occasionally interrupted by football reports, what is nowadays - amazingly - the only moment in which a subtle communication among strangers (or not) and regulars of the place is generated, according to Nelson.
…people are losing colour, they only look at the mobile phone… (NC)
Cardoso, with his usual fluidity and resourcefulness, yet as if deriving from a current sociological phenomenon study, installs his Tasca with 31 "people" and 2 cats – creations on corrugated cardboard and others – recycling the waste of the society, in the same attitude as the waste of the "other", who are living the generalized illusion of a virtual, gigantic and immersive communication, though incredibly lonely, silent, yet full of "virtual friends," – which is reflected by the lack of colour in the four sculptures which are specifically conceived for this installation.
Without ever losing his critical ability and following his line of unlikely-invisible-intriguing characters – like the ones form the installation acquired by Berardo Museum "Swindle and Vaga – World” in 2015 - these 4 sculptures - human-scale figures "connected" + football on TV - vital element of intersection - with other 27 "Spectators", (paintings), which contrasting time and in an explosion of color, fill the Hermitage of expressiveness and joy, under the attentive eyes of the house cats, taking us on a trans-decades journey as recorded in the vivid historical/analytical document of this passage of the "Alchemy ( in the Tasca)” - conceived by Rajele Jain, catalogue to be released at the opening, 11th of March, 2017.
…Normal bodies, not suffering, not aggressive, neither disfigured nor of spectacular shape, which don’t want anything from us but are just there. No emptiness, human warmth. We are reminded of the significance of companions, community, togetherness and bodies. This is also another aspect: die meaning of bodies in the communication process in today’s time of post- and transhuman concepts and virtual messengers.
Nelson Cardoso, with over 30 years of artistic career, (AR-CO – Sculpture - 1985), is inspired and portrays the underworld of the big cities focusing on counterculture, diversity, transformation in all its glamour, and indifference, either in " LIVE(ED) NIGHT" - by José António Fernandes Dias, or in "Mega-Polis" - by Paulo Reis both with the collaboration of Manuel Costa Cabral at the gAD gallery, Lisbon.
Paulo Reis still described him as “an urban, nocturnal, demiurgic artist.”
The rare moments of brotherhood of a larger, aging generation, currently disembodied from society by technological ignorance, provokes some generational (in) difference in many far places, where the Tasca (Tavern)-the Church-the Ermida-is often the unique opportunities for daydreaming/ reverie and brotherhood, making us reflect that abandonment and individualism should not take over and that intersection is the best remedy.
NELSON CARDOSO - Brazilian 1958. Formed in Sculpture (1980 – 1985) under Graça Costa Cabral, attended as well Drawing and Painting at “AR.CO - Art and Visual Communication Centre”, Lisbon until 1988. Represented by gAD Gallery Antiks Design, Lisbon PT during its 20 years until 2012. Participated in several individual and collective exhibitions enhancing 8 Stone Sculpture Symposiums in PT, DE, FR, in 1988 under Minoru NIIZUMA’s invitation, Iwate-Machi- Japan. Installation Prize VERA-World Art Festival Lisbon, “Swindle and Vagabond” acquired by Museu Berardo Lisbon 2015."ART OCCUPIES LISBON, PARIS, ... and also...", HAMBURG (2010), SAO PAULO BR (2014), JAPAN (2015), un ongoing project by Carlos Henrich, artistic residencies - Direct action/ urban psicotheraphy, PAV 28 - Lisboa, 59 RIVOLI - Paris.
Credits
Curator Zambeze Almeida | Support João Tocha, Digital Azul, Vipulamati - Ample Intelligence, Roberta Azevedo Gomes, Flying House- Lx | Book: Concept and Texts Rajele Jain |
Where
Travessa do Marta Pinto 21, 1300-390 Lisbon | Mon-Fri 11h-13h/ 14h-17h Sat-Sun 14h-18h
More Info
Fábia Fernandes | ermida@travessadaermida.com | +351 213 637 700 | +351 961177874
