The opening ceremony for the “Those Who W to Speak to Us” joint exhibition by Portuguese artists Carla Castiajo and Susana Gaudêncio was held yesterday at the Albergue SCM gallery in S. Lázaro district
Organised by the Círculo dos Amigos da Cultura de Macau (“Circle of the Friends of Macau’s Culture”), the exhibition has brought together two artists who each engage with contemporary culture in unique ways, with Castiajo by transforming human hair into a medium of artistic and cultural tension, and Gaudêncio, by examining utopia, heterotopia, and strangeness as frameworks for reflection, according to a recent statement by the Círculo dos Amigos da Cultura de Macau (“Circle of the Friends of Macau’s Culture”).
The statement underlines that Castiajo, born in 1974, is internationally recognised for her distinctive use of human hair in jewellery and installations, creating what she describes as “a tension between attraction and repulsion.” Her past works, including the Compulsive Collection at Casa A. Molder Gallery in Lisbon, have delved into themes of eroticism, symbolism, and the body.
Castiajo attended yesterday evening’s opening ceremony.
The exhibition, according to the statement, also features works by Gaudêncio, born in 1977, who is an assistant professor at Portugal’s University of Minho, and whose research focuses on what she defines as “the utopian impulse in contemporary art”.
Gaudêncio was unable to attend the ceremony.
The statement noted that her solo and group exhibitions have taken place at major cultural institutions, including the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Lisbon and the Liverpool Biennial, highlighting her ongoing engagement with the ideas of utopia, dystopia, and strangeness.
The exhibition will run until September 30. It is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. (and from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Mondays), with free admission.
Carla Castiajo poses with one of her artworks on the sidelines of yesterday’s opening ceremony of the “Those Who Wish to Speak to Us” exhibition at the Albergue SCM gallery – Photos: Khalel Vallo
