由北京全艺社主办的“神话缔造者——苏约翰装置摄影作品展”开幕酒会将于十一月二十日在全艺社北京空间举行，本次展览的作品为澳门艺术家João Ó在全艺社北京空间驻场一个月期间所创作，包括装置和摄影两部分。

João Ó出生于葡萄牙里斯本。现于澳门及里斯本两地居住及工作。2001年取得葡萄牙里斯本理工大学（Universidade Técnica de Lisboa - FAUTL)建筑学位课程。2010年获西班牙加塔罗尼亚理工大学(Univesidade Politécnica da Catalúnia - UPC)建筑和城市文化硕士学位。2009年获选代表澳门参加第五十三届威尼斯国际艺术双年展。2008年: 获香港《透视》杂志(Perspective Magazine)建筑及室内设计奖, 入选八月号之「四十骄子」(“40 under 40”)。

João Ó是一位居住澳门多年的中葡混血艺术家，我们从艺术家身上除了能明显地看到东西方血统的融合外，更能感受到中西文化的碰撞和交流，实际上本次展览也是跟艺术家中国和葡萄牙的双重身份以及文化归属感有关。”Mythologist”这个题目从某个角度是对艺术家文化经验的映射，虽然艺术家成长于澳门，但从生活方式和文化经历方面说他更接近于葡萄牙。在西方文化中”Mythologist”即“神学者”指的是研究神学的人，但如果把这个概念植入到现代艺术中，“神学者”意指了艺术家这个群体，他们在研究和学习艺术的同时，也在缔造着艺术，所以“神学者”也是创造神话的人。从另一方面说，神学或者神学者是基于现实经验对不可知世界的探索，也就意味了神学或者神学者在现实和未知之间起了桥梁的作用。艺术家正是借用”Mythologist”这个名词，来阐释多种文化交汇、可知与不可知、自我与外部世界各种错综复杂因素的探索和融合。

与大部分土生葡人一样，João Ó会讲葡萄牙语和广东话，因为血统的缘故，当他在里斯本的时候会被别人认为是中国人，而当他在中国的时候又会被认为是外国人。这种情形使得艺术家对身份归属问题尤为关注，在他肖像系列的摄影作品中这个关注得到了体现。艺术家通过把自己装扮成十五世纪的葡萄牙人，来追溯葡萄牙和中国开始联姻的时代，这一系列作品的灵感正来自他几个世纪之前的祖先肖像。

与此同时，展览还会展出艺术家的装置作品，这组名为“彩虹桥”的作品体现了艺术家在感性和理性之间的游移，它告诉我们这样一个道理：人类对世间美好壮观事物的感受是相同的，当它们被心灵捕获占有时，那是一种博大深奥的诗意感在起作用，文化、种族、地理等鉴别因素都会被遗忘。展览期间装置作品将横跨整个展厅，色彩绚烂，壮丽异常，敬请期待！

全艺社位于中国北京市朝阳区崔各庄乡何各庄村区域内壹号地「北京318艺术园」东6排3号(邮编：100103)。查询电话：(86) 010-6432-1562，电邮：beijingafa@gmail.com

Mythologist – Installation and Photography by João Ó

The opening ceremony of "Mythologist –Installation and Photography by João Ó", is organized by Beijing AFA and will be held on November 20 at Beijing AFA space. The works presented in this solo exhibition includes installation and photography, which were created by the Portuguese-born Macao artist during his one month residency in Beijing AFA space.

João Ó was born in Lisbon, Portugal and now lives and works in both Lisbon and Macao. He got his master degree in Architecture and Urban Culture (Distinction) by the Metropolis Masters and Post Graduate Program, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain in 2010, and has a diploma in Architecture by the Faculty of Architecture Technical University of Lisbon in 2001. He was selected to represent Macao in the 53rd Venice Biennale in 2009 and distinguished in the category Architecture and Interiors by Perspective magazine (Hong Kong) and with his profile published in August 2008 edition “Focus 40 under 40”. João Ó was also awarded in the Installation category in the 16th Macao Arts Festival in 2005. 

João Ó, a Portuguese-Chinese artist living in Macau for many years, in whom we can clearly see the integration of Eastern and Western origins and sense the collision and exchange of Chinese and Western cultures. In fact, this exhibition is related to the double identity (Chinese and Portuguese) of the artist as well as his sense of cultural belonging. The subject of "Mythologist" is the reflection of the artist’s cultural experience to a certain extent. Although the artist grew up in Macau, in terms of lifestyle and cultural experiences, he is closer to Portuguese culture. Conventionally, "Mythologist" refers to people who study myths within a specific culture. However, if the concept is embedded in modern art, it means a group of artists who are creating art while studying and learning it. Hence the "Mythologist" may also be regarded as a person who creates myths. On the other hand, the scope of Mythology is to explore the unknown world and ancient beliefs based on the experience of the real-world. This means that the artist is building a bridge between reality and the undefined. In this sense, the artist borrows the term "Mythologist" to illustrate the various explorations and unusual integrations of cultural interchange, that is the known and the unknown, the self and the complex factors of the outside world.

As with most Macanese, João Ó speaks Portuguese and Cantonese fluently. However, due to his mixed appearance a paradox happens: he is considered as a Chinese when living in Lisbon whereas in China he is viewed as a foreigner. This conflict over the years has made the artist particularly concerned with his own identity, which prompted an inquiry about his origins. In a photographic series he depicted himself as a Portuguese from the fifteenth century in order to trace back the age of intermarriage between China and Portugal. According to the artist, this work is a tribute to his ancestors.

At the same time, an installation titled "Rainbow Bridge" is also showcased in this exhibition. A lightweight suspended structure made of climbing rope and colored fluorescent lamps spans the whole exhibition hall. This metaphorical bridge is an invitation to reflect upon the nature of transience through the poetic thought. Here, the meteorological phenomenon (rainbow) is captured in the form of a vertiginous passage that has its origins in the artist’s own beliefs, i.e. within the intimacy of the self the sublime acquires a dimension of lost identity, being its recognition a profound poetic act.

AFA is located on 1 ArtBase, “Beijing 318 Art Garden” East 6-3, Hegezhuang Village, Cuigezhuang Township, Chaoyang District, Beijing(100103), China. Tel: (86) 010-6432-1562, E-mail to: beijingafa@gmail.com
Mythologist – Installation and Photography by João Ó
Artist: João Ó
Curator: James Chu Cheok Son
Opening: 20th Nov, 2010, (Saturday) 4p.m.
Exhibition period: 20th Nov -19th Dec, 2010.
Location: 1 ArtBase, “Beijing 318 Art Garden” East 6-3, Hegezhuang Village, Cuigezhuang Township, Chaoyang District, Beijing(100103)
E-mail: beijingafa@gmail.com
Tel: (86) 010-6432-1562