Saturday 20 July 2013

Joana de Vasconcelos ' noble floor exhibition at Palacio Nacional da Ajuda, Lisboa (cont.) - The 14th of July 2013


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As we made it towards the end of the exhibited artistic pieces we felt the best were the last to be presented, or at least the ones recognised as being entitled to be called as such. 

The "Red Independent Heart " (2005) is actually one of my favourite pieces, not only because it represents a heart, which I feel should be behind every scene in our daily life but also because this particular one is associated with the iconic filigree pieces women from Viana, the Northern region of Portugal, are so proud of wearing, namely as pendants or earrings.

It is made of pieces of plastic cutlery not so easily recognisable as one looks at it and the fact of being suspended and therefore subject to slightly rotating movements has led the artist to have us watch it whilst listening to one of three selected fado songs ("Strange way of life","Curse" and "Seagull"), one of which (the first one mentioned) was at the origin of the title of this artistic piece.

King João VI Hall, a former ball room, where it was being exhibited provided just the adequate type of ambience  with its 1825 decorative paintwork.













The next composition, "The Bride" (2001-2005), which has led to rather ambiguous and polemic opinions because of what it is made of (female tampons) is without any doubt an impressive piece. Seen from a distance this beautiful chandelier could easily be thought to have been made with numerous glass pendants.

The fact that it was suspended in King João IV Hall  decorated with amazingly beautiful 1825 mural paintings, many of which related to the Monarch listening to the reading of the oath added a certain distinct and adequate setting to the whole scenario.

















































"Lilicoptère" (2012) occupied the whole area of the Upper Halberdiers' Room. Decorated with ostrich feathers, swarovski crystals and gold leaf among other enriching decorative elements, this Bell 47 helicopter took our attention from both the geometric black and white marble flooring and the beautiful paintings on the vaulting ceiling. It was almost impossible to look anywhere else but at this huge glamourous-like flying creature.
























The "Royal Valkyrie" (2012)  gravitating the space of the former chapel of the Palace was the last artistic piece to be seen.










As Silvia and I walked out of the Palace where we had virtually spent most of the afternoon we came across a huge number of people still queuing up to see the exhibition for which they would barely have one hour ... definitely not enough to admire Joana de Vasconcelos' artistic works whether you like her as an artist or not ...








 



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