June 2024
During this residency, I decided to draw only on things I find locally, then return them to the place where I found them. I was inspired by fellow SPACEX artist Carlos Noronha Feio. His practice involves collecting objects, often taking what he call a rhizomatic approach: sometimes he’s looking for something but finds something else of interest.
Forta de Santo António da Barra was built to repel the English. From my observations, it has not been entirely successful.
In this project I was also inspired by mystical maps of Lisbon created by designer Maria da Gandra. She writes: “the words ‘saudades’ and ‘saudade’ are possibly unique to the Portuguese language, and although used interchangeably today, they represent two distinct meanings: saudades refers to the loss of something; but when you miss something that you never had but you long to have, even if it is unattainable or doesn’t exist yet but will exist, then the right word to use is Saudade.”
See @maisportuguesia to see her beautiful maps & research.
Da Gandra writes: ‘Considered the capital of the Fifth Empire since the Middle Ages, Lisbon has often been the favoured place to apply profound esoteric prophecies and theories to architecture, urbanism and the arts.’
The sea bream is known in Portugal as Sargo, living deep in the coral reefs, caught with a line.
The local supermercado where I stayed receives these fish in typical styrofoam containers filled with ice, then the containers are discarded.
Your ouroboros was a handle to a door that led to the center of the Earth.
I had to ask around, ‘Who is that guy on the wall?’ An antique dealer told me: Almada Negreiros was born in the Portuguese colony of São Tomé to a Portugese father and Santomean mother. He became a multi-talented artist (mostly drawing) and writer.
I finished this project where I started – with inspiration from @mariadagandra. She writes that 17, the sacred number of Portugal, is related to forgetfulness, in terms of the definition of apocalypse: ‘what is hidden must be revealed’.
‘Why not attend to some small detail,’ writes Fernando Pessoa, ‘instead of the grand indifference of the stars.’