JOAO ONOFRE (Lisbon, 1976) "Pink running dry",... Lot 43

JOAO ONOFRE (Lisbon, 1976) "Pink running dry", 2005. Permanent marker on fabriano paper. With a label from the Toni Tàpies gallery in Barcelona on the back. Size: 100 x 70 cm; 112 x 82 cm (frame). Writing and plastic composition are often intertwined in the pictorial series that João Onofre produced in these years (2004-20059, with the intention of revisiting the legacy of conceptual art. This work comes from the Toni Tàpies gallery, a Barcelona space where the internationally renowned Portuguese artist has exhibited on several occasions (notably "La nuit n'en finit plus", 2011). In his production Onofre reflects on themes such as the original and the copy, repetition and interpretation. Since graduating from Goldsmiths College in 1999, João Onofre has gone from strength to strength, becoming one of the most interesting artists of his generation. Mainly dedicated to the creation of videos with a strong performative component, Onofre also uses photography and text. His videos show an interest in the effects of extreme physical situations on people. He often involves groups of individuals in a game of performance or collective portraiture, exploring the complexities of group dynamics. In his works he captures gestures or situations that provoke anxiety and discomfort, often appropriating a historical work of art, a song or a scene from a film. Another of the concerns that Onofre tries to reflect in his works is the inability to control the body. For Box sized "Die" featuring Cristales en la sangre (2007-2010), Onofre asked a Barcelona death metal band to play inside a soundproof replica of Tony Smith's minimalist sculpture Die (1962). He tested their resistance to asphyxiation, oppression and claustrophobia by subjecting them to extreme conditions of air and space scarcity. Selection of solo exhibitions: 2021 João Onofre, Daniel Faria Gallery, Toronto, Canada. 2019 João Onofre Once in a Lifetime, Culturgest, Lisbon, Portugal. Curator: Delfim Sardo (Cat.) 2017 Untitled (orchestral), Sala das Caldeiras, MAAT, Lisbon, Portugal. Curator: Benjamin Weil. 2016 Appleton Square, Lisbon, Portugal. Curator: Ana Cristina Cachola. 2015 Tacet, Kunstpavillion, Munich, Germany. João Onofre, Ciclo Coleção António Cachola, Chiado 8 - Espaço Fidelidade Arte Contemporânea, Lisbon, Portugal 2014 Tacet, Marlborough Contemporary, London, U.K. (Cat.) 2013 3 Oeuvres de João Onofre, Chantiers d'Europe Lisbonne Paris, Théâtre de la Ville, Paris. 2012 National Museum of Contemporary Art - MNAC - Museu do Chiado, Lisbon, Portugal. Curator: Helena Barranha. Ghost, Cristina Guerra Contemporary Art, Lisbon, Portugal. 2011 Palais de Tokyo, Paris, France. Curator: Marc-Olivier Wahler.