Visual Dialog: Paula Scamparini

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© Paula Scamparini

© Paula Scamparini

Visual Dialog: Munchen Series
Visual Dialog: Serie Palavras (words)

All  images © Paula Scamparini

Artist Statement: Paula Scamparini

Paula Scamparini is a visual artist living and working in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

I have been working with the concept of landscape for years . Rather than think over landscape as a theme itself, or by its pictorial tradition, my proposal is to develop artistic activities through its possible concepts, pointing to conscious questioning about human previous knowledge (cultural heritage). Focusing on the culture continuous transformation, the aim of my work is to approach artistic practice through the possible manipulation of immediate heritage and knowledge as devices for it.

© Paula Scamparini

© Paula Scamparini

As the contemporary times indicate the rebuilding of our relations with nature and the world itself, I believe it is of great importance to work within culture from the perspective that any reconstruction requests before some obliteration.

In this way, I dedicate my work to exercising the possibilities of natural experiences, by the immersion of the body in the space, focusing on perception subjects. Following that, landscape concept helps me to question traditional paradigms – even to perception at an extreme point -, extrapolating its notion to our relation with nature (mostly visual and corporal relationship with the physical world, including virtual spaces).

© Paula Scamparini

© Paula Scamparini

The photo-installation series called “words” starts from the appropriation of public spaces by the artist. These spaces, immediately turned into sceneries are chosen in response to affective relations brought up by the spaces and the artist. as if experienced moments in these places produced object leftovers, as left talks, signs of presences that are not there anymore. above all, the artist’s presence. The written “(s)tripes” invade public open or closed spaces, beginning with the library of french Institution “La CourDieu”, where the artist could live for 3 months and with which had daily relation. “All the books I’ve read”, followed by “all the books I’ll never read” propose the beginning of an extended exchange between the artist and literature, one of the main aspects of her recent works.

Aiming to produce not just objects, but mostly “senses”, accompanied with a very straight view of the relationship between art and life, my artworks explore the strong closeness between written words and images (or simply language) – human’s most powerful tools to outline new approaches with reality. So these are the ways I try to work through art. The main reason for the work developed is finally to activate the exchange of senses and ideas between people.

I believe artists need to put into analysis human behavior, confronting the context of the contemporary society and its stablished relations to the physical world that shelters us. This investigation is political and decisive, and must be unfolded by art in a trans-disciplinary approach. In this way, in the images or the actions I perform, I intend to create non-spoken communication networks, physically getting to transform in some way or even create collective experience.

The Munchen ephemeral intervention photo series brings up questions abousexuality, body and gender , naturally opposing diferente body cultures: brazillian

© Paula Scamparini

© Paula Scamparini

and german, besides its well-known clichés. Through machinic repetition of the same naked body, standing still in Munich’s private and public spaces (theater, movies, public pool), the artist aims to put into question the presence of the political female body, its phisical and, above all, cultural dimensions, opening a non-responsive debate to questions mentioned above.

Munchen Series was produced during 3-week residence in Munich, Germany and showed at Gedok Munchen Gallery from 18 july to 2nd August 2014.

Visit Portfolio: Munchen Series

Biography

Artist. Lives and Works in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Since 2004 has been working on photography and paper pieces. Her artistic research is based on her specific idea of landscape, which has been developed during her academic studies.

PhD. In Visual Arts and Professor at Visual Arts School (EAV) Parque Lage, and at Federal University of Juiz de Fora (IAD UFJF).

Has been showing her pieces in Brazil and abroad.

Main exhibitions lately held at: Casa de Cultura da américa Latina, Brasília (solo) /Kunstlerhaus Wien – Áustria / GEDOK Munchen gallery (solo), Alemanha / 17th Cerveira Biennial, Portugal / Centro Municipal de Artes Hélio Oiticica, Rio de Janeiro / PorAmorÀArte Gallery, Portugal / IBEU Gallery, Rio de Janeiro / La CourDieu, France .

Paula has participated in artistic residencies in Portugal (16a Bienal de Cerveira) in 2011, in France (La CourDieu) in 2012, and Germany (Gedok / Domagk Ateliers).

The artist has installed two permanente pieces: one at Biblioteca Mario de Andrade, the biggest latin america library for literature, in Rio de Janeiro (2013), and at La CourDieu private Library (2012), in La Roche-en-Brenil, France.

For 2015 the artist prepares a solo exhibition to be held at IBEU Gallery in march, Rio de Janeiro, plus a residence and solo show at Carpe Diem Arte e Pesquisa Lisbon, and a solo show at GPL Contemporary in Wien, beside a group show at Rathausgalerie in Munich.

Website: paulascamparini.com

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