To mitigate the impact of inclement weather or the potential removal of the artworks, I conceived the notion of employing QR codes as substitutes for the physical installations in the event of their disappearance, concurrently establishing a digital archive to preserve their memory. Consequently, I devised an alternative version of the map featuring QR codes, thereby facilitating access to the digital realm.
WHAT
Communio creatio mors is a series of art installations I created in the eastern cemetery of Porto (Cimenterio do Prado do Repouso). The works, created with full respect for the place, its sacredness and the people who pass through it, are conceived as light and playful interventions and reflect on certain nuances of this place, on death and inevitably on life.
KEY CONCEPTS
VERBS
cry pray wash care walk offer kneel
remember concentration decomposing
talking to oneself
NOUNS
water bell graves flowers candles
hierarchy generations borders death
life comunity map photos
WHY
The imperative to integrate artistic practice with a specific place impelled me to venture into the public sphere. Indeed, I contend that within the contemporary milieu, art necessitates an extramural presence, poised to imbibe the ambient atmosphere, engage with individuals and their personal narratives, and be accessible to all, thereby susceptible to the vicissitudes of change and the inexorable march of time.
WHERE
The cemetery, as elucidated by Foucault, constitutes a locus distinct from the vivacious urban landscape—a Heterotopia wherein "those spaces that have the particular characteristic of being connected to all other spaces, but in such a way as to suspend, neutralize, or reverse the set of relationships that they designate, reflect, or mirror."
Manifesting as a public domain imbued with the collective consciousness, the cemetery teems with the idiosyncratic tales of everyday life, dedicated to the commemoration of emotions and the preservation of interpersonal connections. It serves as the backdrop for collective and individual rites entwined with themes of loss and hope, exorcism and acceptance—arguably the dwindling remnants of such practices in Western society. The cemetery emerges as a sanctuary for mourning, a conduit for communion with the intangible, and a locus for the contemplation of humanity's quintessential and immaterial essence, namely, its relational bonds.
THE MAP
Although the works are scattered throughout the cemetery area, I wanted to create unity between them, a flow that would connect them into imaginary paths that visitors could enjoy. I thus created a map of the place, which leads to the discovery of the works.
The decision to employ a map aligns with my intent to facilitate an interactive and playful experience akin to a "treasure hunt," aimed at imparting themes and atmospheres that might otherwise carry weight in a manner that is more engaging and lighthearted. It is my aspiration for this endeavor to function as a 'game' fostering interpersonal connections, encouraging collective participation in the exploration of the artworks, thereby stimulating potential reflections and facilitating discourse between people.
THE INSTALLATIONS
The insatllations are thirteen, drawing inspiration from street art and guerrilla art paradigms, embodying philosophical and political meditations on themes of death, life, and contemporary societal constructs, while simultaneously manifesting as subtle and ironic distortions of reality. Notably, only one installation is designed for activation by the public, emphasising the possible interactive dimension of artistic activity. All the works have been realised with due reverence for the site and its tombs,in order to bring attention to ethical and aesthetic considerations towards the site.
DEVELOPMENT OF INSTALLATION WORKS
To develop the installation works, I began to look at the cemetery as a possible container for multiple investigations, reflections and methodologies. I walked through the site several times and studied its characteristics, gradually identifying points of interest and stimulation that caught my attention.
I chose to act in the space covertly, through simple gestures and above all through accessible, ephemeral and removable materials. During the process I was very inspired by Keri Smith's book "Guerrilla art Kit".
