João Penalva: João Penalva: Introduction to the ArtistIntroduction to the Artist

João Penalva has been João Penalva has been

shown widely both shown widely both

nationally and nationally and

internationally. Born in internationally. Born in

1949 in Lisbon, Portugal, 1949 in Lisbon, Portugal,

Penalva has lived and Penalva has lived and

worked in London since worked in London since

1976. Initially a dancer, he 1976. Initially a dancer, he

moved on to study moved on to study

painting. He now works in painting. He now works in

various forms of visual art.various forms of visual art.

Penalva started his Penalva started his

artistic career in the artistic career in the

late 1970s dancing in late 1970s dancing in

companies like that of companies like that of

Pina Bausch, so the Pina Bausch, so the

performative gesture, performative gesture,

or the body as a site or the body as a site

of narratives is never of narratives is never

far from his work.far from his work.

The artistry of Penalva lies The artistry of Penalva lies

in the exuberance of written in the exuberance of written

and oral narratives in the and oral narratives in the

most heterogeneous and most heterogeneous and

surprising of contexts, surprising of contexts,

leading his viewers to the leading his viewers to the

awareness of their role as awareness of their role as

interpreters, translators and interpreters, translators and

decoders of their decoders of their

fragmentary perceptions.fragmentary perceptions.

Since the 1990’s, Since the 1990’s, Penalva has Penalva has incorporated incorporated numerous other numerous other approaches and media approaches and media into his repertoire. into his repertoire.

Many of these would Many of these would not usually be not usually be associated with visual associated with visual art, namely music, art, namely music, dance, and writing. dance, and writing.

Penalva's work is Penalva's work is concerned with ideas concerned with ideas of translation – and of translation – and perhaps more aptly - perhaps more aptly - mistranslation. The mistranslation. The line between fact and line between fact and fiction is often blurred fiction is often blurred as his works draw on as his works draw on aspects of journalism, aspects of journalism, cinéma vérité and cinéma vérité and memory.memory.

CreditsCredits

Fourth Wall, Thames and Hudson Fourth Wall, Thames and Hudson River Projects, River Projects, http://www.padt.org.uk/projects/penalva/penalvapr.html (1) (1)

Picture This, Picture This, http://www.picture-this.org.uk/current/penalva2.htm (1, 4, 5) (1, 4, 5)

e-flux, e-flux, http://www.e-flux.com/displayshow.php?file=message_1130943987.txt (2, 3) (2, 3)