Installations
What the Poet Knows, installation at Charing Cross Library, 2018
What the Poet Knows is an homage to the writers and their work, the relevance of poetry and its breathless beauty, deep sorrow or wondrous humour.
Poetry enhances and transports the meaning of what is said to an intangible and emotional reality, becoming often the ideal vehicle for our inventions and thoughts. Thus, it makes complete sense to base this installation here in Charing Cross Library, as it is a space that envelops the wonder of reading, thinking and feeling; the work then increases further in significance and value.What the Poet Knows is an act of collaboration between the spectator and the artist. The installation, sculptural in nature, comprises three towers. It behaves like a Fauvist painted city that impacts with riotous colours in your emotions inviting the viewer to wander around the structure while reading the poems. The spectator actively shapes the piece while reading the poems.It is at the core of this project the notion that art can become part of daily life, creating new questions and developing new answers. It also wants to underline the power of words and poems as an intrinsic condition for humanity.
Chews Words, NTWRK at The Exhibit, Balham
Chews Words is a project that exists because of an act of collaboration between the spectator and the artist. It is embedded in the tradition of edible art, and needs to be eaten by the viewer to progress and evolve. The spectator is the catalyst that shapes and makes this project.
The walls of the space covered in handwritten poems will be concealed by a screen of sweets. With the action of the spectator, the top layer is deconstructed, while the bottom level is revealed, showing the poems.Chews Words is a proposal that needs the spectator to exist. Without that intervention the work cannot reveal itself, evolving into its final image. The viewer actively shapes the form of Chews Words, eating the sweets, revealing the writing with this action, and reading the poems. Poetry enhances and transports the meaning of what it is said to an intangible and emotional reality, becoming often the ideal vehicle for our inventions and thoughts.This is a piece that wants to challenge the spectators, inviting them to eat the work, and start a creative process where only their actions and their involvement will make Chews Words possible. It wants also to underline the power of words and poems as an intrinsic condition for humanity. It is at the core of this project the notion that art can become part of daily life, creating new questions and developing new answers.
Burst someone’s Bubble, 21 October 2014 in “Moo”, Brick Lane, at La Tundra magazine anniversary.
“Burst someone’s bubble” is an installation that will only exist for a few hours. It needs the intervention of the spectator to prick the balloons and disclose the text written below. It wants to express the power held by words and poems while generating new thoughts and changes.
It highlights the revolutionary quality of ideas as an intrinsic condition for humanity. Poetry enhances and transports the meaning of what it is said to an intangible and emotional reality, becoming often the ideal vehicle for our inventions and thoughts.
Sweet Smell of Success… ACME Open Studios 2012
Sweet smell of success is a piece firmly based in the tradition of ephemeral art, or as I like to call it, digestible art. It is therefore, an object that has been made to be consumed during the two days of the weekend-open studios, and that will disappear at the end of the event.It is a piece that needs to be eaten to reveal the transcript written on the wall of the studio.
The transcript is part of Rebekah Brook’s testimony at the Leveson Inquiry.The demise of News of the World brought to the spot line many interesting subjects concerning the role of the press in relation with the political power, the work of journalists that establish close ties with politicians, and how this association could corrupt and tarnish their job.Rebekah Brooks was one of key figures that were called to give evidence at the Leveson Inquiry. She defines in her account what journalism is and what her beliefs are concerning her work and career. She also gives an insightful record of her views about her readership and her part played in fighting for their interests and concerns.Her statement is most revealing in exposing the perils and traps of a position of power. I could imagine that there is a permanent ethical discussion in her line of work, and I could also imagine how that debate became blurred as years went by.Sweet smell of success wants to mirror with its brevity some of the news’ nature which is delivered to be consumed very fast and with no introspection or analysis. As for the choice of using sweets for the top layer of the piece, I happened to recall one of the meanings of the word sweeten / 2 to make sth more pleasant or acceptable. 3 ~ sb (up) to make sb more likely to help, agree, etc, eg by offering gifts. The definition fits like a glove the subject and spirit of this work.In brief, the Leveson Inquiry hasn’t revealed anything new about the way some journalists work, and it is evident that there have always been cases of an unhealthy close relationship between press and politicians.Nonetheless, the amazement at their actions still pervades when you read the transcripts; sadly, it is still possible to understand how difficult it might be to resist the glamour of power, and the corruption of their own petulant, patronising beliefs.