Group Show | F for FREEDOM - Curated by Alexandre Melo

05.Jun.2012 | 08.Sep.2012

The title "F for FREEDOM" implies a political intention but also appears due to "F for Fake" (1973, Orson Welles) and several famous words (in English or in Portuguese), whose first letter is an "F". The choice of examples is left to the freedom of each one. Like everything one can say or think about this (or any other) exhibition.

FREEDOM is perhaps the most important concept that one might think, says the same about the possibility of thinking and acting. After all life is freedom, but freedom is the struggle for freedom and freedom is a word that is very difficult to categorical define and impossible to define consensus. Therefore has some similarities with the word art. This is the first reason of this exhibition.

In early conversations with gallery owners, regarding this project, appeared intent to present Scandinavian artists who have been long absent from the Portuguese artistic scene. Now it has just a coincidence that for a long time, in a time of dictatorships, Scandinavia has been to many an ideal model of freedom. In "F for FREEDOM" we do not illustrate or advertise a definition of freedom. We present expressions of freedom in one of its most complete forms which is the freedom of imagination and artwork. Therefore, the freedom that we see is contradiction or provocation, celebration or dispute, always ambiguity and diversity. The diversity of practices, methods and materials of each artist. The clash of perspectives and multiplying possibilities of interpretation.

Gardar Eide Einarsson (1976, Norway), through the variety of concrete forms he uses, address directly political topics, but always leaves to the beholder the responsibility for reading and conclusions. The political vocation is evident in Runo Lagomarsino (1977, Sweden), but taken to extremes of depletion and perversion which is the feeling of disruption outweighs to any kind of ideological comfort. A debugging logic also moves the work of Rolf Nowotny (1978, Denmark), in a more lyrical and more minimal perspective that doesn't diminish the impact and suggestive power of the works. The paintings of Alexander Tovborg (1983, Denmark), the uncompromised generosity in the use of color, figure and references, demonstrate the diversity as a disorder principle of this exhibition and, with its revisiting (the Bible in this case) suggest a decisive paths of freedom in today's world. Everything is played in the ability to submit the narratives, characters and canonical images, reaching us from the past, and the narratives, characters and common images that surround us in everyday life, to the transformer energy and to the endless dynamic of metamorphosis inherent in the exercise of the power of fictional imagination and artistic invention. The sculptures of classical figures transformed and photographed by Elmgreen & Dragset (Denmark, 1961, 1968 & Norway) are a case in point.

Alexandre Melo, may 2012