By Sandra Camacho
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| Miguel Ângelo Rocha, Before and After, 2015. Courtesy of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation's Modern Art Centre |
Before and After (2015), an expansive abstract sculpture by Miguel Ângelo Rocha (b.
Lisbon, Portugal, 1964), is on show at the Calouste Gulbenkian
Foundation’s Centro de Arte Moderna (Modern Art Centre), Lisbon. The piece, made in collaboration with musician Pedro Moreira, reflects on issues of time and materiality
whilst also exploring links between drawing, installation, performance and
sculpture.
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| Miguel Ângelo Rocha, Before and After, 2015 |
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| Miguel Ângelo Rocha, Before and After, 2015 |
In dialogue with the pulsating score, twisting and turning narrow wood forms take shape within three large
rooms, including a vast auditorium. In the first two spaces the viewer
encounters the white hollow wood structures set against a white cube backdrop.
The work’s shadows reflected on the walls create an interplay between the
flatness of the drawn line and the physicality of sculpture, amplified by the
use of sound. The audio element, itself a ‘material’ component of the work, fluctuates
between quasi-recognisable instruments and electrical crackling resembling acoustic
feedback.
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| Miguel Ângelo Rocha, Before and After, 2015. Courtesy of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation's Modern Art Centre |
Sound adds a sense of temporality,
particularly in the darkened auditorium as the musical score set within a space
traditionally associated with a wide range of performances conveys the
impression of walking into an act in progress. The sculpture’s
three-dimensional physicality appears to come to life with its floating and
meandering forms expanding from seats to stage. The wooden strands are therefore
presented not only as a material object but are also temporal, intimately linked to
the score and theatrical setting.
With no actors on stage, viewers take
on the role of both performer and spectator as they are given the opportunity
to wander around the space. This makes for an immersive experience,
placing the audience within an inhabited space.
One cannot help but get the feeling
of playing a minor role in a theatre production – an unknown story started
before one’s arrival and which continues long after one has left the buidling. The use of the white rooms in addition to the auditorium is
key in enabling the work’s theatricality to grow exponentially whilst also adding
a site-specific dimension.
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| Miguel Ângelo Rocha during the installation of Before and After at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation's Modern Art Centre. Courtesy of Faculdade de Belas-Artes da Universidade de Lisboa |
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| Miguel Ângelo Rocha, Before and After, 2015. Courtesy of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation's Modern Art Centre |
MIGUEL ÂNGELO ROCHA: BEFORE AND AFTER
Calouste
Gulbenkian Foundation, Centro de Arte Moderna (Modern Art Centre). 13 February - 31 May 2015
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