FILIPE CRAVO – a vós, avós, a voz
We have the pleasure to exhibit a vós, avós, a voz by Filipe Cravo.
Press Release
“A vós, avós, a voz”: a tribute to ancestry
The Portuguese artist Filipe Cravo shows at Edge Arts, from 8th May
“A vós, avós, a voz” is the Edge Arts’ new exhibition, from the Filipe Cravo. The work of this Portuguese artist can be seen at Edge Arts, at Amoreiras Space, from 8th May to 27th June . This work is related with the voice ‘s universe and the ancestry’s world, associated with genesis and black music.
In this exhibition there is a crucial message that is constantly ignored and forgotten, a muffled voice that cannot be heard due to the cultural boundaries. Through “A vós, avós, a voz”, Filipe Cravo evokes the debate around the genesis of music, reflecting also about the current silence between western continents and Africa. The title is not naive, it reveals the difficulty in distinguishing meanings when orally pronounced .
The exhibition “A vós, avós, a voz” questions the role of painting as a way to carry messages, but ironically, the artist uses it to think about the genesis of music, specially black music, once he has a lasting relationship with. The opening, on the 8th May, will not escape from this irony: the (in)capacity of the “dead technique” to carry messages will be tested with the presence of a set of DJs who will represent black music.
The work of Filipe Cravo establishes a bridge between music and fine arts. In 2005 he produced a radio program called “Black Magic”, at the radio of Coimbra’s University, that was dedicated to black music and that is still running today. In the artist’s career the international exhibitions stand out, such as the one at the Cultural Centre of Recoleta, in Buenos Aires, at EUA and in London. Filipe was also invited to participate at Biennale Méditerranéenne d’Art Contemporain d’Oran, that took place at Angelia, from 16 to 18 of May.
In the context of this show and also in order to promote Edge Arts’ new strategy, the galley will host associated events on the LEAP auditorium, at Amoreiras Space, where it will be released the new disc “Meu Kamba” from Rocky Marsiano, a project from D-Mars (Marko Roca). This event will stimulate a conversation between Rui Miguel Abreu and Filipe Cravo about music and art. Edge Arts presents itself as a cultural space, in order to divulge national authors, not only through exhibitions, but also through events that can instigate relevant cultural interchange.
Biography
FILIPE CRAVO
Filipe Cravo has a BA In Fine Art Painting graduation, at A.R.C.A. – ETAC, in Coimbra, Portugal (2000) and a MA Fine Art, at Central St. Martins, at College of Art&Design, in London (2002). Filipe Cravo was born in 1977, on a small town by the sea. He has happy memories from his childhood, which he recalls as the most beautiful time of his life. Back then, to draw was an act of pure bliss, still untouched by the destructive self-criticism.
His present work reflects the marks left by the pop culture he consumed in that period. His fascination for the old leads him to a constant search for images and sounds which can bring him a sense of familiarity and sometimes even an unexplainable nostalgia – feelings that he tries to convey into his work through an approach that, despite being contemporary, smells like grandpa’s jacket. He also likes to explore decontextualization and outdatedness – factors that can be obtained through intuitive selections, taking advantage of the effects caused by time passing.In 2005 he creates the radio programme “Black Magic” that is dedicated to Black Music and still subsists nowadays at the Coimbra’s University.
In 1998 he got a Honourable Mention in Jovens Pintores (Tranquilidade competition, at Lisbon), and since then he exhibits regularly in Portugal and abroad. It can be underlined from his career several invitations from different curators, such as Saskia Wilson-Brown, who invites Filipe to participate on “Starfu**ers”, at Overtones Gallery, in Los Angeles, USA; Claire Nichols, Neil Taylor e Harriet Murray, who organized the group show in London called “On Trust”, at Campbell Works, in 2007; and also the invitation from Shaheen Meralio, to integrate the show “Ford”, at Oxford House, in London (2001).
The artist also took part of “TRansit”, at Cultural Centre Recoleta, in Buenos Aires (2004) and “Messi? Ronaldo?”, at Espacio Maipú, also in Buenos Aires (2011).
In 2012 Filipe Cravo also exhibited “Everything But The Kitchen Sink”, at Omladine, Belgrade, in Serbia and was recently invited to incorporate the Biennale Méditerranéenne d’art contemporain d’Oran this year in Angelia