(Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
It took 12 days by car to get to the Parnaíba Delta all the way from the interior of Piauí, Brazilian state situated in the Northern extreme of the country. Inside the vehicles, sharing hours, words and thoughts, were artists Alexandre Canonico, Bruno Dunley, Isabel Diegues, Luis Barbieri, Marina Rheingantz—PIPA Prize 2015 finalist—, Mauro Restiffe and Paloma Bosquê, whose goal was to gather a little understanding of a region of the country absolutely diverse from where they came from: São Paulo, for example, is almost two thousand miles away from the Piauí seacoast. The outcome of the journey, translated into artworks, can be seen this Saturday, November 26th, in the opening of “Projeto Piauí”, at the Jacaranda art space located inside Villa Aymoré.
The photographs, sculptures, drawings, paintings and sound installations born on the road constitute an ode to “de-mechanizing the gaze”. Some of these were produced while still on the trip, sometimes assimilating objects found on their route. Others were only created afterwards, in the peace of a studio.
What seems to be unanimous, however, are the feelings Piauí aroused in artists: “the silence of a hostile environment, the sight of the sky, the exuberance of the caatinga vegetation, the Sertão light, the gigantic plains, the diversity of rock formations, the dry, barren lands once occupied by rivers, asides from the widening of time that one feels after seeing the prehistoric rupestrian paintings.”
On view until January 22nd, “Projeto Piauí” claims the idea of the show is not to have a final word on the subject of Piauí. Its goal is, in fact, quite the opposite: to share an immersive experience of displacement and reflection with the audience, much like what they shared between themselves.
“Projeto Piauí”, featuring Alexandre Canonico, Bruno Dunley, Isabel Diegues, Luis Barbieri, Marina Rheingantz, Mauro Restiffe and Paloma Bosquê
Opening: Saturday, November 26th, 6 p.m.
On view through January 22nd, 2017
Jacaranda, at Villa Aymoré
Ladeira da Glória nº26, Casa 1
Working hours: wed—sun, 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.
T: (+55 21) 2509-6962