PORTUGUESE WAVESJoana Bastos | Mauro Cerqueira | Susana Mendes SilvaThe finale of a five-part ten-month series of commissions, exhibitions and events celebrating the contemporary art of Portugal Curated by Iliyana Nedkova and Filipa Oliveira

3 Apr – 10 Aug 2010 FREE exhibition guide Horsecross Arts presents thirteen new works including exclusive commissions and acquisitions by Joana Bastos, Mauro Cerqueira and Susana Mendes Silva following the artists’ research in Perth and their first solo exhibitions in a public institution in the UK at Perth’s Threshold artspace. All works are showing in curated loops at nine of the different ‘project rooms’ of the artspace including:

The Foreigners (2010) | 12 min 34 sec Mauro Cerqueira This field recording was performed by Cerqueira while shooting his artist’s film O Salto - Serin and Rich (the Jump...) showing at the Norie - Miller Studio. Who are ‘the foreigners’ who dare to imitate the children of Porto in their river jumping?

Words in My Mind, Words in Your Mind (2009-10) | 1 min Susana Mendes SilvaThis audio installation has voiceover at its heart, originating from a collection of statements about common psychological disorders. Some of these utterances derive from the scientific description of symptoms, and others from the description of states of mind from diagnosed (or undiagnosed) people.

Ritual #2 (2006-10) | 6 min 22 sec Susana Mendes SilvaIn this multi-channel video the personal-confessional statement ‘My obessession leads to compulsion’ is written over and over again until one can no longer read it and the paper is violently perforated. The repetition, both in the act of writing and in the dynamic flow along the wave of 22 screens, transforms writing into drawing evoking the school punishment of copying the same lines ad infinitum.

Looking at the city (2010) | 22 min Mauro Cerqueira A journey of discovery where the artist’s hometown of Porto is both appreciated and critiqued. From sprawling touristic panoramas to close-up shots of the ancient city centre, this work mirrors the movement from the periphery to the centre of the wave of screens. Capturing the fading glory of Porto, the artist also comments on the negative impact of local politics and the proliferation of cultural tourism.

Entertainment (2010) | 20 min Joana BastosTesting our understanding of ‘entertainment’, Bastos strings a chain of associations using words which relate directly to the artspace itself, to the exhibition context, to the community, the city, the county and the country. Her choice of colours refers to the motorway alert signs which, in the context of the wide open public site of the artspace, could be both amusing and exasperating.

Related events and resourcesFollow us on: Facebook | YouTube | Flickr | e-artnow | e-flux | artrabbit | ambit | artfacts | Artforum | issuu Book an exhibition tour with Iliyana Nedkova: By e-mailing inedkova@horsecross.co.uk well in advance Enjoy a brunch preview with the artists: 3 Apr 2010, 11am-2pm, free but RSVP: inedkova@horsecross.co.uk as space is limited View exclusively online: selected video works by the exhibiting artists: www.youtube.com/Thresholdartspace Read More about the artists: New journal commissions by Jenny Brownrigg | Chris Byrne | Neil MullhollandDownload all Read More back issues for free: Horsecross Arts journal for critical writing and in-depth analysis of contemporary artInvest into artists’ limited editions: As part of Collect + Support: Horsecross Arts exclusive limited editions by contemporary artists

Welcome = interactive soundscape doorway of 16 sensors and 8 speakers

Wave = a long canvas of 22 flat screens in a row under the copper-clad dome

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Threshold artspace | Horsecross Arts

Perth Concert Hall | Mill Street | Perth | PH1 5HZ Perth Theatre | 185 High Street | Perth | PH1 5UW | UK0044 (0) 1738 621 031 | info@horsecross.co.uk | www.horsecross.co.uk/about/threshold-artspace/

Open Mon to Sat | 10am-5pm or late on performance eveningsadmission free

Threshold artspaceBold contemporary art by Scottish and international artists in Perth since 2005

To the Bone (2010) | 7 min 12 sec Mauro Cerqueira A portrait of a man exploring old graves in a recently unearthed cemetery in the historical UNESCO-protected area of Porto designated to be destroyed and transformed into luxury hotels and apartments.

Polaroid (2004) | 1 min 40 sec Susana Mendes SilvaA self-portrait of the artist as instances of detachment, disembodiment and dematerialization. The portrait gradually and mysteriously emerges from the pure white void, simulating the process of a developing Polaroid photograph. However, we are denied eye contact with the artist, and, in a way, the void remains.

Did I Hurt You? (2006) | 3 min 31 sec Susana Mendes SilvaDeparting from the most simple unit of drawing and geometry - the point - this video work portrays the brutal act of perforation. The use of a pin that trespasses and pierces irreversibly a sheet of paper is as much a violent as beautiful scene to watch.

One Shift Smile (After Line Manager Instructions) (2008) | 45 min Joana BastosAn artist’s solo performance for camera in response to the body language requirements inscribed in the job descriptions of hostesses. We are confronted with a professional smile whose fakeness and theatricality can only be detected through its unnatural length. A playful, face to face game of endurance.

O Salto - Serin and Rich | The Jump - Serin and Rich (2008) | 12 min 34 sec Mauro CerqueiraThis work offers an experience of role-reversal while commenting on the limits of urban sub-cultures such as river jumping in exchange for donations from the tourists. Built in 1886, the bridge over the Douro River was designed by one of the co-workers of the Eiffel Tower and has since turned to be Porto’s ex-libris, featured in most postcards and city’s guides. (Could be viewed in relation to Cerqueira’s audio work The Foreigners showing at Threshold Welcome area)

Babysitting (2010) | still image projection Joana BastosThe artist stars as an au-pair in this documentary photograph taken by the mother of the child Bastos was looking after. The low quality of this cinematic im-age, captured by a disposable camera, is deliberately left untouched to reveal the instantaneous wonder and enigmatic glamour of fun fairs.

You Look Lovely Today (2009-10) | 30 sec Susana Mendes Silva This ultra-minimalistic, text-based artist’s video might make us smile, feel better, and even look at the screen as a mirror, allowing us to adjust, or even remove, the mask of perfection.

Kitchen Notes (2007-2010) | 23 min Joana BastosUsing established social behaviours to examine both the absurdities as well as the boredom of some job roles – such as being a nanny – the artist reflects on daily chores and the human condition. This text-based work is also a comment on the distance between the employer and the artist-cum-nanny who are communicating with each other via written kitchen notes.

Also showingPerth and Kinross Today: 100 works by 31 Scottish artists at Threshold artspace, Perth Concert HallArchived: a solo exhibition by Kyra Clegg at Threshold artspace, Perth TheatreCollect + Support: collectable, limited editions by Susan Collins and Marek Styszen at Threshold artspace, Perth TheatreExclusively online: works by António Olaio, Vuk Cosic, Julita Wojcik, Alec Finlay and Susan Collins at Threshold artspace website

Portuguese Waves Joana Bastos | Mauro Cerqueira | Susana Mendes SilvaCo-curated by Iliyana Nedkova and Filipa Oliveira. Produced by the artists, curators and Horsecross Arts for Threshold artspace in partnership with 55degrees, Glasgow. Supported by the Calouste Gulbenkain Foundation, Instituto Camões Portugal of Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Scottish Arts Council.

Threshold Stage Screen = a public interface for artists’ works which also appear on the dedicated artspace You Tube Channel www.youtube.com/Thresholdartspace

Norie-Miller Studio = Threshold artspace black box for single-channel artists’ films and videos. Please refer to the artspace website for the selected screening times

Flush = a trail of 8 small screens tucked away in the public toilets

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“Perth’s Threshold artspace shows no signs of watering downits bold remit in programming stunning and inspiring artwork” Scotland on Sunday

Pioneered and managed by Horsecross ArtsCore funded by the Scottish Arts Council and Perth & Kinross Council

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