End of Residency Show... DESPINA, Rio de Janeiro

During October I spent a month on residency at DESPINA in Rio de Janeiro. My piece for the show took the form of duel projections, the upper projection, Fuji Test ii, melting through a series of vibrant images of the cityscape. The lower projection containing images from Jardim Botanico displayed perpendicular to the first, and running at half the speed, the shifting of imagery often almost imperceptible.

This work was an exploration of the cityscape, an examination of the conjunction and flux between the natural and the man made. Rio offered a rich and colourful tapestry from which I created a fantastical mapping celebrating the energy and vibrancy of this culturally rich and beautiful city alongside a meditation on the natural world constantly vying for space.

I discovered while on residency that the name Despina comes from Italo Calvino’s ‘Invisible Cities’. This felt a wonderful coincidence to me as Invisible Cities is another pivotal text within my work and my project seemed in harmony with Calvino’s fantastical cities. The projections were exhibited as part of SAARA Nights #10 alongside 3 other international residents and 3 artists working together as part of the ‘Art & Activism in Latin America’ project. The opening night was lively and colourful with the Art & Activism residents providing music and performances.