(this page was last updated in January 2018)
Denver, Colorado, USA, 1978.
Lives and works in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
PIPA 2010 nominee.
Joana Traub Csekö creates mechanisms intrinsic to the operation of their images, like secrets, which attract and communicate, but simultaneously disarm the viewer’s gaze. Images dissenters, which want from our view the time of aim, look, and not the intermittent and fragmented attention of everyday imagery in which we are immersed.
She is a member of the PY Group, through which conceived and coordinated exhibitions / events such as the Pyrata (2005), Pylar (2006) and FEBEARio (2008).
In the artist’s practice, the photography becomes a possible way of being in touch with the contemporary society, to make visible, reveal, through the capture and subsequent engendering the real, aspects of our surrounding environment both physical and symbolic.
Video produced by Matrioska Filmes exclusively for PIPA 2010.
“Hu (Hu Enigma)”. Duração 1’16”48”’
Joana Traub Csekö, visual artist, is majored in Communication Studies (School of Communication – Federal University of Rio de Janeiro) and has a MFA degree in Visual Languages (School of Fine Arts – Federal University of Rio de Janeiro). From 2000-04 she also attended the Parque Lage School of Visual Arts (Rio de Janeiro).
In 2008, she realized the solo exhibit HU series at Galeria Novembro (Rio de Janeiro), the first work involving the monumental modernist building of the University Hospital (HU) of Rio de Janeiro’s Federal University. The images of this series are the outcome of Joana’s research for her graduate studies at the School of Fine Arts.
The documentary HU (HU Enigma), 2011, is an outgrowth of the same research. HU was granted an award for its making by the program DocTV, subsided by the Ministry of Culture. The doc was also awarded best film at Festival de Tiradentes (Brazil) and Monterrey International Film Festival (Mexico) and selected to official competition at CPH:DOX (Denmark), BAFICI (Argentine) and Toulouse (France).
The short film Homenagem a Matta-Clark (Tribute to Matta-Clark), 2015, is the epilogue of this body of works. The film is dedicated to the aesthetic happening of the University Hospital’s demolition. This project was selected by the Rumos Itaú Cultural program, which sponsored its completion.
In 2010 Joana was part of the residency program Arte in.Loco, where she started developing the Passages series. This residency and exchange program involved Brazilian and Argentinian artists, and happened in the cities of Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro. For the last five years, Joana has been committed to this work. The artist presented this photographic series in a solo exhibit at Oscar Cruz Gallery (São Paulo) in 2011. In 2012 she realized a second solo show of the series in IBEU Gallery (Rio de Janeiro), entitled ‘Passagens – Copacabana’. In 2014 the Passages made a new turn, with the series ‘Vera Fotografia’, exhibited in the solo show ‘Elegias Cariocas’, in Luciana Caravello Gallery, also in Rio.
Works by Joana can be found at the Gilberto Chateaubriand Collection, Museu de Arte Moderna – Rio de Janeiro. The artist has exhibited in the following institutions: Museu de Arte Moderna – Rio de Janeiro (‘New Acquisitions 2006-07’ – Gilberto Chateaubriand Collection); Museu de Arte Moderna – Bahia (‘XII Salão da Bahia’); Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil – São Paulo (‘New Art’); Foundation for Brazilian Studies – Buenos Aires (‘Arte In.Loco’); Museu Nacional do Conjunto Cultural da República – Brasília (‘Situações Brasília’); Museum van Hedendaagse Kunst Antwerpen (MuHKA) – Belgium (Europalia.Brasil International Arts Festival, ‘The Street’), amongst others.
Education
2006 – 2008
– MFA degree in Visual Languages (School of Fine Arts – Federal University of Rio de Janeiro).
2000 – 2004
-Studied at Escola de Artes Visuais do Parque Lage, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
1998 – 2002
– BA in Social Communication from Escola de Comunicação da Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Courses
2005
– Art as an Artifíce, prof. Franz Manata – EAV do Parque Lage, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
2004
– Concepts of Art History, prof. Paulo Sérgio Duarte – Escola de Artes Visuais (EAV) do Parque Lage, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
– Art and Philosophy, profs. Anna Bella Geiger e Fernando Cocchiarale – EAV do Parque Lage, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
2003 – 2004
– Photography and Experimentation, mentoring project with visual artist Paula Trope in the artist’s studio, espaço Agora, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
2003
– Photography’s Studio, prof. Denise Cathilina – EAV do Parque Lage, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
2001
– In reverse: from Modern to Contemporary, prof. Reynaldo Roels – EAV do Parque Lage, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
2000 – 2002
– Language Photographic, prof. Denise Cathilina – EAV do Parque Lage, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Solo Exhibitions
2014
– Elegias Cariocas. Galeria Luciana Caravello Arte Contemporânea. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
2012
– Passagens – Copacabana. Galeria de Arte IBEU. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
2011
– Passagens. Galeria Oscar Cruz. São Paulo, Brazil.2008
2008
– “Série HU”, Galeria Novembro Arte Contemporânea, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The series of images are the outcome of the research conducted by Joana at her post-graduation in Visual Languages. Another offshoot of this work is the documentary “Hu” which Jane co-directed with filmmaker Pedro Urano. The film was awarded the by the edictal DocTV IV (TV-MinC Brazil).
– “Ponto de Vista – série HU”, Galpão de Linguagens Visuais, EBA-UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
2002
– “Pública / Privada”, Galeria Maria Martins, Universidade Estácio de Sá, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Group Exhibitions and Events
2016
– The Uncanny Home of Our Imagination. Nave Annex Gallery. Somerville, USA.
– Depois do Futuro. Escola de Artes Visuais do Parque Lage [Parque Lage School of Visual Arts]. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
2015
– RUMOS. Itaú Cultural. São Paulo, Brazil.
– Coquetel. Castelinho do Flamengo. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
– Encruzilhada. Escola de Artes Visuais do Parque Lage. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
– #ObaOba. Galeria BangBang. Lisboa, Portugal.
2014
– Imagens da Escuridão e da Resistência. Museu de Arte Moderna (MAM) do Rio de Janeiro. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
– Carnavandalirização. Activist events realized during the period of the World Cup in Rio de Janeiro. Ateliê de Dissidências Criativas. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
– ObaOba. Ateliê 397. São Paulo, Brazil.
– ObaOba. Boate Fosfobox, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
2013
– Alalaô. Galeria A Gentil Carioca, event in Arpoador beach. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
– Amor,. Casa Benjamin Constant. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
– Bota na Roda. Multimedia event in a house in Botafogo neighborhood. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
– Baratox. Activist event on the occasion of the investigation of public transportation mafia in Rio at the Municipal House of Rio de Janeiro. Ateliê de Dissidências Criativas. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
2012
– Prêmio de Arte Contemporânea do Distrito Federal – Situações Brasília. Museu Nacional do Conjunto Cultural da República. Brasília, Brazil.
– 1° Mostra de Arte Digital da MUV Gallery. Digital art exhibition at virtual gallery MUV. http://www.muvgallery.com/arte_digital/3
– Preciso – entre navegar e viver. Digital art exhibition at virtual gallery MUV.
http://www.muvgallery.com/exposicao
2011
– Europalia.Brasil International Arts Festival, ‘A Rua’ [The Street]. Museum van Hedendaagse Kunst Antwerpen (MuHKA). Antwerp, Belgium.
– Chain Letter Exhibition. Samson Projects. Boston, USA.
– Tempo Futuro/Futuro do Tempo. Ateliê da Imagem. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
– Tempo Futuro/Futuro do Tempo. OFF Paraty em Foco. Paraty, Brazil.
2010
– Open House. casa na Vila Angelina. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
– “Quase Casais”, Espaço Maus Hábitos, Porto, Portugal.
– “Com Afeto, Rio”. Galeria Oscar Cruz, São Paulo, Brazil.
– “Arte In.Loco”, Museu da Maré, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
– “Liberdade é pouco… O que desejo ainda não tem nome”, Casa no Jardim Botânico, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
2009
– “Novembro”, Galeria Novembro, São Paulo, Brazil.
– “Projeto Acervo”, Espaço Bananeiras, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
– “Elefante Branco”, Casarão no Jardim Europa, São Paulo, Brazil.
– Arte In.Loco Fundacion Centro de Estudo Brasileiros, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
– “A rua é nossa… É de todos nós!”, Institut pour la Ville en Mouvement – Centro Cultural Justiça Federal, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
– “Nova Arte Nova”, Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil, São Paulo, Brazil.
– “Suco de Caju”, Solar Meninos de Luz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
– “Art to Stop Tuberculosis”, Galeria do Convento – Centro Cultural Candido Mendes, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
2008
– “EIA – O Jogo”, Urban Interventions Event, São Paulo, Brazil.
– “Realidades Impossibles – 20 artistas brasileños trabajando con fotografia hoy”, Fototeca Juan Malpica Mimendi, Veracruz, México.
– “FEBEARio”, Espaço Cultural Sérgio Porto, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
– “Coletiva”, Largo das Artes, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
2007
– “Galeria de Arte UFF – 25 Anos”, Galeria de Arte UFF, Niterói, Brazil.
– “Qual é a sua Paisagem?”, Centro de Arquitetura e Urbanismo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
– “FotoRio 2007”, Galeria de Arte IBEU, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
– “MAC Vazio”, Museum of Contemporary Art (MAC), Niterói, Brazil.
– “Level Vodka”, SP Arte 2007, Pavilhão da Bienal, São Paulo, Brazil.
– “Novas Aquisições 2006-07 – Coleção Gilberto Chateaubriand”, Museum of Modern Art (MAM-Rio), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
2006
– “Linguagens Visuais 10 anos”, Centro de Arte Hélio Oiticica, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
– “Mola – mostra livre de artes”, Circo Voador, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
– “Riocenacontemporânea”, Estação Leopoldina, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
– “Arquivo Geral”, Centro de Arte Hélio Oiticica, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
– “Incorpo(R)ações”, Espaço Bananeiras, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
– “Cenas da Música Contemporânea” Centro Cultural Oi Futuro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
– “Pylar”, Casarão em Santa Tereza, organized by Grupo PY, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
– “Março”, Galeria Novembro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
– “Conexão Contemporânea – Rede Nacional Funarte de Artes Visuais”, Centro Cultural Paschoal Carlos Magno e intervenção urbana, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
2005
– “XII Salão da Bahia”, MAM da Bahia, Salvador, Brazil.
– “Nano Exposição”, Galeria Murilo de Castro, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
– “PYRATA”, Barca de travessia Rio-Niterói, organized by Grupo PY, Niterói, Brazil.
– “VER – 1o Encontro de Live Art do Rio”, Escola de Artes Visuais do Parque Lage, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
– “Espaço-Experimento”, Centro Cultural Parque das Ruínas, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
– “Pequena Coleção de Fachadas do Gentio – FotoRio 2005”, urban intervention, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
– Galeria Espaço Repercussivo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
– “PyNeo”, Galpão Pylar, organized by Grupo PY, Niterói, Brazil.
– “Py = X ²”, Sala José Cândido de Carvalho, organized by Grupo PY, Niterói, Brazil.
2004
– “Visor IV”, Escola de Artes Visuais do Parque Lage, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
– “EIA (Experiência Imersiva Ambiental)”, Evento de intervenções urbanas, São Paulo, Brazil.
– “O Corpo Inventado”, Conjunto Cultural da Caixa, São Paulo, Brazil.
– “Posição 2004”, Escola de Artes Visuais do Parque Lage, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
– “CineAto”, Espaço Cultural Sérgio Porto, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
2003
– “Figura 4 – situações fotográficas”, Espaço Bananeiras, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
– “Discrepância – FotoRio 2003”, urban intervention, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
– “Grande Orlândia”, Artistas Abaixo da Linha Vermelha, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
– “Alfândega”, Armazém do Rio, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
2002
– “Intervenções no Espaço”, Campus da Praia Vermelha – UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
– “Pessoas do Século Passado”, Casa Rosa, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
2001
– “Prêmio Rio Jovem Artista”, Espaço Cultural Sérgio Porto, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
2000
– “Pelo Buraco da Agulha / Sta. Teresa de Portas Abertas”, Centro Cultural Laurinda Santos Lobo, Rio de Janeiro, RBrazil.
Awards, Grants and Residencies
– Project for the documentary “Enigma do HU” awarded by the edital DocTV IV – TV Brasil-MinC (1st prize – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil).
2009
– Residency project Arte In.Loco, Exchange program between Brazilian and Argentine artists coordinated by the curator Beatriz Lemos, happening in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, July.
2007 – 2008
– MD Grant Award as Student Grade A+ – FAPERJ, granted to top-ranked graduate program.
2005
– Selected for 12th Salão da Bahia.
2001
– Award Universidarte IX.
2000
– Rio Jovem Artista 2000. Honorable Mention in the Photography category.
Feature film “HU” – Festivals
2011-13
– Barroco Prize Júri Jovem in 15 th Tiradentes Cinema Festival. Tiradentes, MG, Brazil. Best
– Best Director Prize Nacional Festival Lume de Cinema, São Luis, MA, Brazil.
– Best Documentary Prize Internacional, Festival Internacional de Cine de Monterrey, Mexico.
– Official Selection 24 o Cinelatino Rencontres de Toulouse. Toulouse, France.
– Official Selection III Semana dos Realizadores. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
– Official Selection CPH: DOX 2011 – Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival. Copenhagen, Denmark.
– Official Selection “Odiseas del Espacio” BAFICI – 14 o Buenos Aires Festival de Cine Independente, Argentine.
– Official Selection Olhar de Cinema – Festival Internacional de Curitiba, Brazil.
– Official Selection III Festival de Documentários de Cachoeira, BA, Brazil.
– Official Selection mostra competitiva nacional do FórumDoc BH 2012, Brazil.
Selection Rencontres Internationales Paris/Berlin/Madrid, Palais de Tokyo – Paris.
Residencies
– Arte In.Loco Residency program coordinated by curator Beatriz Lemos, involving Brazilian
and Argentinian artists in the cities of Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro. jul/2010.
Collections
– Gilberto Chateaubriand – MAM-Rio.
– Galeria Ibeu Rio.
– Arizona State University Art Museum.
– Ernesto Neto (private collection).
– Sabina Matz (private collection).
Artfairs
SP Arte (São Paulo)
2009 – stand Galeria Novembro.
2010-13 – stand Galeria Oscar Cruz.
SP Arte – Foto (São Paulo)
2010 – stand Galeria Oscar Cruz.
ArtRio (Rio de Janeiro)
2010-13 – stand Galeria Oscar Cruz.
2015 – stand EAV-Parque Lage
Collections
– Coleção Gilberto Chateaubriand, Museum of Modern Art (MAM-RJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
– Arizona State University Art Museum, Tempe, USA.
Publications
– Rio de Janeiro – Urban Life Through the Eyes of the City. Picture for the cover of the book by Beatriz Jaguaribe. Routledge, UK, 2014.
– Folhetim. Independent Publication by writer/curator Bernardo Mosqueira. Illustration for the short story “folhetim #1”, 2013.
– Comunicação, Arte e Cultura na Cidade do Rio de Janeiro. Book organized by the academic group Art, Communication and the City, Programa de Pós-Graduação da Faculdade de Comunicação Social – UERJ. Article “In the City” pg. 28-40. Ed. UERJ, 2013.
– Situações Brasília – Prêmio de arte Contemporânea do Distrito Federal. Catalog for the exhibition, pg. 34-35. Museu Nacional de Brasília, 2012.
– Passagens – Copacabana. Catalog for the solo exhibition with text by curator Bernardo
– Mosqueira, 22 pgs. Galeria Ibeu e Galeria Oscar Cruz, 2012.
– A Rua – Rio de Janeiro and the Spirit of the Street. Catalog for the exhibition, org. Dieter
– Roelstraete, pg. 20-7, 146-47. MuHKA Museum of Contemporary Art Antwerp, 2011.
– Prêmio PIPA 2010. Instituto Investidor Profissional, pg. 71.
– “Humanidades – Brasília Cidade Pensamento”, n° 56 December 2009, pg. 105, 109, 111. Editora Universidade de Brasília, Brasilia, Brazil.
– Multitudes Abécédaire de la crise, Politique du care, Micorpolitique de l´habitat non-ordinaire. n° 37, 38/eté 2009, pg. 34. Association Multitudes e Éditions Amsterdam.
– Santa Art Magazine. n° 3 April 2009, pg. 84-90.
– Nova Arte Nova. Catálogo, pg. 208-211. Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil, 2009.
– Arte Brasileira Contemporânea – um prelúdio. org. Paulo Sérgio Duarte, pg.170-171, Silvia Roesler Edições de Arte.
– Arte em Revista. n° 0 January 2008.
– Revista Global. n° 6 September/October/November 2006.
– XII Salão da Bahia. Catálogo, pg. 46-47. Museum of Modern Art of Bahia, 2005.
– Ralador 4. Revista de arte, n° 4/ano 3.
– Ralador. Revista de arte, n° 1/ano 1.
Other Activities
2015
– Coquetel. Coordination and curatorship of the collective show + talks with critics and curators at Castelinho do Flamengo. may-jul/2015. Rio de Janeiro, RJ
2007
– REDE Nacional de Artes Visuais – FUNARTE, Workshop “Imagens Reflexivas” administered by the program of Caruaru, Brazil, December 2007.
2006
– “Da Precariedade” XIII Encontro de Pós-Graduação, EBA-UFRJ, Centro de Arte Hélio Oiticica, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, November 2006.
Events/exhibitions organized by GrupoPy (group that the art is a member):
– “FEBEARio”, Exhibition-Event and lecture cycle in the Espaço Cultural Sérgio Porto, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, July – September 2008.
-“PYlar”, Exhibition/event in a mansion in Santa Tereza, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, June 2006.
– “PYrata”, Exhibition/event in a ferry Rio-Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, October 2005.
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