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Twin Islands, 2023
Cac Passerelle, 2021, Brest
Twin Islands, 2022, exhibition view at CAC Passerelle in Brest
(left) Careta / Antic, fabric, shells, rope, thread, vegetal remains, elastic, plastic, sheep hair, acrylic paint,
200 × 28 × 30 cm (right) Relógio / Clock, wood, glass, ceramic, fabric, metal, permanent marker, acrylic paint, 80 × 26 × 15 cm
De noite todas as curvas são cegas / At night all curves are blind, wood, shells, glass, nails, fabric, acrylic paint, ink, 64 × 19 × 7 cm
Boémia ou breu / Bohemia or dusk, wood, sea plant, glass, tennis ball, shells, styrofoam, tissue, fabric, stones, sheep hair, plastic, acrylic paint, ink, 50 × 30 × 30 cm
Farewell, wood, shells, tissue, fabric, metal, wax, plastic, stone, wood, cane, sheep hair, thread, acrylic paint, 23 × 62 × 24 cm
Twin Islands, 2022, view of Farewell, Sky and Human trace of the horizon (2) at CAC Passerelle
(right) Coração / Heart, wood, ceramic, shells, aluminum, sheep hair, acrylic paint, 26 × 20 × 5 cm (left) Vestígio humano do horizonte / Human trace of the horizon (1), glass sphere, metal, cane, rope, glove, fabric, nails, thread, 8 × 15 × 14 cm
Twin Islands, 2022, view of Tower (1), Turn me off and Tower (2) at CAC Passerelle
Tu ou Eu / You or I, stone, metal, shells, wood, bone, glass, sheep hair, acrylic paint, 12 × 20 × 12 cm
Shots from Signal Dance's video, by Violaine Lochu performing with the costume Duplo V / Double V made by SB © Makoto Friedmann
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Carpintarias, 2022, Lisboa
Twin Islands, 2022, exhibition view at Carpintarias in Lisbon
Duplo V. / Double V., 2022, fabric, shells, sheep hair, wood, marker, pencil, acrylic paint, string, variable dimensions (in the image with 220 × 70 × 60 cm)
Twin Islands, 2022, exhibition view at Carpintarias during Violaine Lochu's performance
(left) Pé dentro, pé fora / Feet in, feet out, 2022, fabric, wood, plastic, shells, stone, rope, leather, metal, pigment, marker, acrylic and synthetic paint, variable dimensions (in the image with 200 × 180 × 165 cm)
(right, back) TIME ZONE, 2022, fabric, rubber, plastic, cotton, cement, shells, metal, wood, pigment marker, clay, acrylic and synthetic paint, 146 × 34 × 11 cm
Grito seco / Dry scream, 2022, fabric, wood, rope, brush, cement, metal, shells, glass, marker, acrylic and synthetic paint,
65 × 20 × 20 cm
Twin Islands, 2022, exhibition view at Carpintarias during Violaine Lochu's performance
Cometa / comet, 2022, fabric, styrofoam, clay, shells, glass, metal, wood, vegetable traces, rope, cement, acrylic and synthetic paint, variable dimensions (in the image with 100 × 65 × 200 cm)
A vida pelos freios / Life on brakes, 2022, fabric, wood, rope, rubber, metal, shells, stone, marker, and acrylic paint,
50 × 35 × 10 cm
Sempre em pé / Roly-poly, 2022, fabric, wood, cement, clay, glass, shells, acrylic and synthetic paint, 30 × 13 × 13 cm
Eco / Echo, 2022, fabric, wood, cement clay, glass, shells, acrylic and synthetic paint, 70 × 20 × 30 cm
TIME ZONE (detail), 2022, fabric, rubber, plastic, cotton, cement, shells, metal, wood, pigment marker, clay, acrylic and synthetic paint, 146 × 34 × 11 cm
Naufrágio / Wreck, 2022, fabric, cardboard, clay, stone, shells, reeds, cotton, metal, plastic, rope, pigment, marker, acrylic and synthetic paint, variable dimensions, (in the image with 200 × 170 × 350 cm)
Pé dentro, pé fora / Feet in, feet out, idem
Twin Islands, 2022, exhibition view, idem
Vaga, 2023, S. Miguel
Twin Islands, 2023, exhibition view at Vaga in S. Miguel
Twin Islands, 2023, idem
Careta / Antic, fabric, shells, rope, thread, vegetal remains, elastic, plastic, sheep hair, acrylic paint, 200 × 28 × 30 cm
Pássaro reflector / Reflector (bird), wood, thread, metal, vegetal remains, acrylic paint, 35 × 58 × 60 cm
Twin Islands, 2023, exhibition view at Vaga in S. Miguel
Duplo V. / Double V. (detail), 2022, fabric, shells, sheep hair, wood, marker, pencil, acrylic paint, string, variable dimensions (in the image with 220 × 70 × 60 cm)
View of Dry scream and Feet in, feet out at Vaga
Grito seco / Dry scream (detail), 2022, fabric, wood, rope, brush, cement, metal, shells, glass, marker, acrylic and synthetic paint, 65 × 20 × 20 cm
View of Feet in, feet out and At night all curves are blind, at Vaga
De noite todas as curvas são cegas / At night all curves are blind, wood, shells, glass, nails, fabric, acrylic paint, ink, 64 × 19 × 7 cm

Twin Islands is a project of Sara Bichão and the performer Violaine Lochu, with the curatorship of Finisterrae – Centre d’art Insulaire in the island of Ouessant (Britanny, France) and Vaga in the island of S. Miguel (Azores, Portugal). It was part of the Saison France-Portugal, supported by the Institute Français in 2022.

The trigger point was one month of residency, starting in March 2022: SB at the Creac’h lighthouse in Ouessant and VL at Vaga space in S. Miguel.

Aiming to communicate at distance, in an attempt to translate their insular experience, the artists produced a body of work that crosses sculpture (with vernacular objects and other personal belongings), video and performance, using an alphabet of sounds and movement created for the purpose.

The results were first shown in June 2022 at CAC Passerelle in Brest and later developed and exhibited in September 2022 at Carpintarias de São Lázaro in Lisbon. A third exhibition of Twin Islands took place in October 2023 at Vaga, in S. Miguel.

CAC Passerelle © Aurélien Mole
Carpintarias © Eduardo Sousa Ribeiro
Vaga © Mariana Lopes

An edition titled OU EST was made in collaboration with Inland Journal, written by the artist during her residency in the lighthouse.

Curatorial text of the project Twin Islands, by Ann Stouvenel, below:

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Sara Bichão’s working process binds with emotional channels: to heal, to purge, to perpetuate, to play. The works are sculptural with a chromatic atmosphere specific to its own, which at times, are activated by the artist through performative actions. The materials used are often collected/offered/stolen, or come from other recycled and organic resources. More recently, Bichão has also been exploring experimental writing.

Sara Bichão is currently developing a long-term collaboration with La S Grand Atelier – Art Brut et Contemporain, in Belgium.

She was an artist-in-residence at Residency Unlimited (New York, USA) and Finisterrae (Ouessant, FR) in 2022, and has attended other residencies over the past years including: Porta 33 (2020, Madeira, Portugal); Cité Internationale des Arts (2019, Paris, FR); Artistes en Résidence (2017, Clermont Ferrand, FR). She received scholarships from the French Institute (2019, 2022), the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (2014) and the Luso-American Foundation (2022).

A selection of her solo shows include: Lightless, Serralves Foundation, (2024, Porto); Before I Get Sick at MEEL, Press (2021, Lisbon); What is the thing, What is it at Galeria Filomena Soares (2020, Lisbon); Find me, I kill you at Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (2018, Lisbon); (2017) Coastal at Barbara Davis Gallery (2017, Houston); My Sun Cries at Portuguese Foundation of Communications (2016, Lisbon); Somebody’s Address at Rooster Gallery (2014, New York).

Some of her past group shows include: Désordres at Musée d’art contemporain de Lyon (2024, France); Between 58 and 131 infinitely, Galerie Martin Janda (Vienna, 2023); Slow Gala at 68 Art Institute (2022, Copenhagen); Twin Islands at Passerelle Centre d’art contemporain (2022, France); (2022) Traverser la nuit: Works From the Antoine de Galbert Collection at Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology (2022, Portugal); Performance 0 at BoCA – Biennial of Contemporary Arts (2021, Portugal); Clorophilia at Porta33 (2021, Portugal); Storytelling at Musée d’art contemporain de Lyon (2019, France); Un pyjama pour deux at Passages Centre for Contemporary Art in Troyes (2019, France); CHAMA at Atelier-Museu Júlio Pomar (2018, Portugal); What I am at Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology (2017, Portugal); }{ { } at Diagrama (2015, Mexico); 2015) Eccentric Exercise II at Kulturni Centar Beograda (2015, Serbia); Soundless Harmonies at Rita Urso Gallery (2014, Italy); Extending The Line at Arevalo Gallery (2012, USA).

Bichão was selected for the FLAD Drawing Prize (2021), Anteciparte’09 (2009), Fidelidade Mundial – Jovens Pintores (2009), BPI – FBAUL (2008).

Her work is part of art collections such as: Fundación ARCO, Antoine de Galbert Collection, France; CACE (State’s Collection of Contemporary Art); FLAD (Luso American Foundation); PLMJ Foundation; EDP – MAAT Foundation; Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation; Carmona e Costa Foundation; MidFirst Bank Collection, Arizona, USA.

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Texts (selec.)
Short notes

Sara Bichão
Palácio dos Coruchéus
Rua Alberto Oliveira, Atelier 41,
1700-019 Lisboa, Portugal
Ask: sb@sarabichao.com

Galeria Filomena Soares
Rua da Manutenção n.º 80 (Xabregas),
1900-321 Lisboa, Portugal
info@gfilomenasoares.com
+351 962 373 956

Barbara Davis Gallery
4411 Montrose Boulevard, Suite D
Houston, 77006 Texas, USA
info@barbaradavisgallery.com
+1 713 520 9200

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