PILLOW BOOKS & POLAROIDS
EVERY TWO MONTHS
Pillow Book
Classic of Japanese literature, written by Sei Shonagon, lady of the Japanese imperial court, published in 1002. Sei Shonagon's book is not only a collection of essays and poetry, but is also a fascinating account of life in the Japanese imperial court. Pillow Book is considered a classic of world literature. It is published in English by Penguin Classics.
The common writing
The question that arises in a project of this nature lies in the fact that the guests practice different “languages”, with their own “vocabularies” and, normally, without connections between them. Thus, the “language” of a plastic artist is not the same as that of a musician or a businessman, nor is the “language” of an architect the same as that of a film director or a singer. However, for the project to have coherence in the “language”, it is necessary to find a “common language” that can be easily used by each guest.
Polaroid is the answer to the "common language"
The synthesis of this “common language” is masterfully defined by Walker Evans:
“... It makes things awfully easy, that things pop up. It reduces everything to your brain and taste...”
Pillow Books & Polaroids
The final project results from the combination of these two elements, Dei Shonagon's book and Polaroid.
Each guest is challenged to let us see what their Pillow Books are and through them we get to know a little more about each of them.
PEDRO CABRITA REIS
ongoing exhibition
LUISA COSTA GOMES
Since 1th April
HORS-SÉRIE
twice a year
DONNA BASSIN
MY OWN WITNESS
RUPTURE AND REPAIR
“What is a portrait, if not an acknowledgment of a human encounter: an opportunity to imagine the life of another?”
During the years following the 2016 presidential election, I initiated portrait collaborations between those who – through race, sexuality, gender identity, age, ethnicity, and/or disability – felt they had been deemed invisible and un-entitled to their place in this American moment. I asked my sitters to turn themselves “inside out” and to use pose, gesture, and gaze to express their emotional truths, visually assert their identity, become their own witnesses, and invite the viewer to a visceral face-to-face encounter with their humanity. While the American flag has become a complicated symbol, some sitters reclaimed and reimagined it to express their defiance and respectful hope for the return of democracy. As a series, the shared black velvet background and chiaroscuro lighting join each individual in the collective.
Channeling the injuries brought on by the pandemic and the further erosion of democracy, I ripped the original portraits to create “wounds” reflecting individual and collective trauma. Inspired by the Japanese practice of kintsugi, an ancient craft that repairs broken pottery with gold lacquer, I restored the torn portraits with stitching and golden rice paper. Metaphorically, kintsugi honors the acceptance of injury as part of the object's life and gives material form to the history of experience. We acknowledge and pay attention to our violent past in the future so we don't repeat it. These injuries are our losses to be witnessed, mourned, and transformed into social justice.
MY OWN WITNESSE - RUPTURE AND REPAIR IN LISBOA
Between May 12th and September 30th, Donna Bassin's project will have an intense activity in Lisboa.
May 12th
Inauguration of the photo exhibition at the Espaço D´Artes gallery of the Auto Clube Médico Português
At the same time, and at Espaço D´Artes, the book on the project will be launched.
The book will be for sale on the Incubator website from this date.
May 12th to September 30th
Exhibition of the project on the Incubator Photo Gallery website
May 13th
As part of the event promoted by the portuguese Psychorelational Association, Donna Bassin will close the event, at the Faculty of Psychology, at the University of Lisbon
May 17th
Screening of the video "My Own Witness - Rupture and Repair" at Teatro do Bairro, in Lisbon,
followed by a "conversation" by journalist Paulo Moura and his guests,
which will have Donna Bassin's video as its starting point.