Video screening and portfolio of photos by Raquel Mendes. With presence of the artist.
special refreshment: Sangria vine
The installation is open till January 10. 2010
Raquel Mendes (b. 1978 in Setúbal, Portugal) lives and works in Portugal. She is graduated in Sculpture in the Faculty of Fine Arts in Lisbon in 2002. During that time she was an Erasmus student in Oslo Academy of Art, Norway. In 2007 she finished the Master's degree in Fine Art from Glasgow School of Art.
Her work process is based primarily on observing situations and behaviors in everyday life using direct documentation (photo/video) in a natural, unconstructed or modified environment, avoiding manipulations or illusionary techniques. The subjects she captures with her camera - the home, personal belongings, and the family gathering - are familiar to us all. And yet the real power of her work derives from things - so-called abstractions - that escape the camera entirely.
Since the year 2000 that she exhibits regularly mainly in European countries.
Grants
2001
Erasmus programme at Statens Kunstakademi, in Oslo, Norway.
2005/07
Student Awards Agency for Scotland for the Master of Fine Arts in Glasgow School of Arts, Scotland.
Solo Exhibitions
2004 "Camada superficial e dura" ("Superficial and hard layer"), Parthenon Gallery, Lisbon, Portugal.
2005 "Espaço Pouco Nublado" ("Space partly cloudy"), Vilar Gallery, Co-operative Árvore, Oporto, Portugal 2008 "Default Settings", Alternative Space, Lisbon, Portugal.
Group Exhibitions
1999
"Esculturas em Terracota" ("Terracotta Sculptures"), Town Gallery of Montemor-o-Novo, Portugal.
2000
"Prémio D. Fernando II" ("Prize D. Fernando II"), Sintra Town Hall, Portugal.
2001
"Quando não dizem amo-te" ("When no one says I love you"), FBAUL, Lisbon, Portugal.
"I Prémio de Arte Erótica" ("1st Prize of Erotic Art"), Gondomar, Portugal.
2002
"Skop", Theatre Paulo Claro (Capital - Artistas Unidos), Lisbon, Portugal.
2003
"Noites do Chiado" ("Chiado Nights), FBAUL, Lisbon, Portugal.
"Puro Capricho" ("Pure Whim"), Town Gallery of Castelo de Pirescouxe, Portugal.
"Heteronomias" ("Heteronimies"), Maus Hábitos, Porto, Portugal.
Colectiva (Collective), Partrhenon Gallery, Lisbon, Portugal.
"Afasta-te" ("Get Away"), Parthenon Gallery, Lisbon, Portugal.
2004
"Fotografia sem fotografia" ("Photography without photograph"), SENTIDOS GRÁTIS in Arts Lab, Guimarães, Portugal.
"Andar Modelo" ("Show Room"), Parthenon Gallery, Lisbon, Portugal.
Mostra de Video Português ("Portuguese Video Show"), Videotech of the City Hall of Lisbon, Portugal.
2005
"Arte Lisboa 2005", Contemporary Art Fair, FIL, Lisbon, Portugal.
" VII Concurso de Fotografia da Moita" ( " VII Photography Award of Moita" ), Moita, Portugal.
Jovens Criadores 05" ( "Young Creators 05"), Amarante, Portugal.
"4ª Bienal Intwrnacional de Arte Jovem de Vila Verde" ("Fourth Vila Verde International Young Art Biennale"), City Hall Culture House, Vila Verde, Portugal.
" Concurso de Video do Barreiro" ("Barreiro Video Award Show "), Espaço Contraluz,City Hall of Barreiro, Portugal.
2006
"Arte Lisboa 2006", Contemporary Art Fair, FIL, Lisbon, Portugal.
"III Bienal de Jovens Criadores da CPLP" (" III Young Artists Biennale of CPLP"), Maputo, Mozambique.
"Interim Show", Mackintosh Gallery, Glasgow, Scotland.
"K_nst VI__.6, Amsterdam, Holland.
"Opções e Futuros" ("Options and Futures), recent acquisitions of the PMLJ Foundation, Lisbon, Portugal.
2007
"Sfumatura della palindrome", A. Vermin curater, Glasgow, Scotland.
"Arte Lisboa 2007", Contemporary Art Fair, FIL, Lisboa, Portugal
"Further More", Artnews Project, Berlim, Germany.
"Balêlatina", Basiléia Foundation, Switzerland.
"MFA Degree Show", Tramway, Glasgow, Scotland.
"VídeóVaka", galleriBOX, Akureyri, Iceland.
Collections
PMLJ Foundation, Lisbon, Portugal.
Bibliography
2003 Hugo Pinto, 'Olha quem olha', O Público, 11 September
2004 'Escultura e fotografia', Volta ao Mundo, February, 'Camada Superficial e dura1, Evasões, February
2005 Alexandra Carita, 'A arte é fixe', Expresso (Actual), 24 September
Fernando Montesinos, 'Vanitas: Visiones intelectualizadas de la fotografia', Artnotes, nº 11
2006 Rui Afonso Santos, 'Novas aquisições', L+Artel, February
TR, 'Lisboa'06: A arte, move-se?', magazine artes, November
