joana vasconcelos in loule

joanas show taking shape in loule the gallery was just like a studio for the first few days, it was facinating to have joana talk to me about her ideas and how she planned and developed ideas.she draws a very precise idea of the intention and then embarks on its construction using materials that she has collected from all over the world, traditional methods are employed from knitting to lace work and re-presented having a new identity, they are elevated to new heights. Wherever this sculpture is exhibited she adds fabrics and object that identify with the location, here in Loule she added Fishes and crabs as we are by the sea.Isabel and Palmeira helped her stitch some of these objects in place.It is reminiscent of when women used to meet and sew together, it is a collective effort that changes its identity over time the piece has an inbuilt history, people that are involved feel part of the work.This I think is important as we are living in an ever mass produced sanitised society. This piece really does invoke play and playtime. It was good to see everyone that came into the gallery smile immediately as they entered into the spirit of the work.The whole piece is subversive and all evasive, it is quirky and surreal and has I feel connections with Niki de Saint Phalle.Another aspect of the work is it is soft like a giant childs toy, I watched childrens faces in the gallery as they looked in wonder at this huge playful object which like all good work has its serious content albeit disguised The world we inhabit is wrapped in cotton wool dont do this dont do that, be careful you must not say this or that Contaminacao and Condutex are subversive interventions in our make believe world are they a dream or are they reality. This is the world of Pere Ubu.