Works for the exhibition O Princípio da Inércia, a project by Pessoa Colectiva ( Mafalda Santos&Susana Gaudêncio),
White Pavilion – City Museum, Lisbon
The triptych made for Pavilhão Branco derives from the decomposition of geometric shapes appropriated from constructivist-inspired political propaganda posters. Together, the three canvases describe a sequence of movements, in an allusion to Newton’s Principle of Inertia, seeking here to establish a parallel between the forces described therein and the power of composition and visual imagery in political mobilization and exaltation. All that is solid melts into air quotes the homonymous book written 1971 and 1981 by Marshall Berman where the author examines the complex relationship between modernism and social and economic modernization. It’s title in turn is taken from the Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. “Every body remains in its resting state or in a straight, uniform motion, unless it is forced to change its state by forces printed on it.” All that is solid melts into air quotes the book written between 1971 and 1981 by Marshall Berman where the author examines the complex relationship between modernism and social and economic modernization. It’s title in turn is taken from the Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels.
“Every body remains in its resting state or rectilinear and uniform movement, unless it is forced to change its state by forces printed on it. ” Isaac Newton (1687)
The title of the exhibition The Principle of Inertia evokes Newton’s first law as a metaphor for a reflection on democratizing social movements that marked the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century. These movements are often referred to as Color Revolutions, due to the fact that they adopt the name of a specific color or flower. With this metaphor as a common starting point for the development of work, the exhibition at the Museum of the City explores the relevance and historical and poetic significance of these colorful revolutions, while trying to speculate on the concept of revolution, in a broader sense.
Pessoa Colectiva is a project by Mafalda Santos and Susana Gaudêncio, who, from sharing a common workspace, have been trying to promote and catalyze projects in collaboration with other artists since 2010. From this triangulation the exhibition O Princípio da Inércia emerged, with the contributions of invited artists: Isabel Carvalho, Javier Nuñez Gasco, Margarida Dias Coelho, Miguel Soares, Raphael Taylor and also a collection of books selected by Mário Moura and the publication On Translation: Culorae (1998), provided by Antoni Muntadas. The project also included a publication with content complementary to that presented in the exhibition. The closing of the exhibition on the 4th of November 2012 included the concert by REC BRUTUS and the launch of the satirical pro-lyrical publication BURACO # 5.
