The purpose of this exhibition, “the age of micro voyages” , is to introduce a phase of contemporary art scene in Portugal to the audience in Japan by showing the works of 3 contemporary artists and one film director. These artists are João Tabarra, Maria Lusitano, Miguel Palma and Pedro Costa, all of whom are internationally activities today.

the age of micro voyages
Portugal, located at the western end of the European continent and known as a country that pioneered the age of exploration, used to be ridiculed as being the first to send men on voyages of exploration but the last to see them come back to its ports. That is to say, Portugal was the first country to heroically sail men out into an ocean that might have ended in nothingness, but Portuguese explorers became too enraptured with the events they encountered in the lands they had reached; thus, they neglected their own country by forgetting to fulfill their missions. Moreover, that courageous voyage is often negatively referred to today as the vanguard of colonialism. However, or perhaps because of the above-described attitudes those explorers adopted from those unknown lands, Portugal and its people maintain a specific sense of beauty. Portuguese culture gently radiates with a distinctive nuance. It is unfortunate that the delay in the original explorers coming back to port went so far as to deprive us from turning our attention to the country’s artistic works, from which we can capture the brilliance of Portuguese culture. In such a country, there are artists who originate works that are still in their experimental stages but who take sincere approaches, via undergoing an introspection based on their postcolonial awareness. Their works that radiate subtly and modestly, while also possessing a deep sense of profundity, hold even a greater significance than the great voyages that their countrymen once made. Thus, it is essential for us to take a closer view of that radiance inherent in their works. The exhibition “the age of micro voyages,” which will be composed primarily of contemporary Portuguese artists, is being organized so that we may create such an opportunity. These works that might still be in their experimental stages can also be seen as “micro voyages,” which will be originated in the country that once took the world into its hands along with its neighbor Spain. Thus, their works can act as nautical charts for us who live in the post-colonial world. It is hoped that these small voyages are what can indeed guide us to a new world in the truest sense of the word.
(Atsushi Sugita, critic)

Álvaro Siza Viera: Contemporary architecture of Portuguese (talk event)
July 10, 2010(sat)　14:00 - 16:30
sagamihara cumpus, 1011 studio

Pedro Costa (open lecture)
July 31, 2010(sat)　15:00 - 16:30
sagamihara cumpus, 224 studio

* The text provided by Joshibi University of Art and Design, Graduate School GP.

Opened dates: June 19 - August 1, 2010