Extinção de um planeta/ Extinction of a planet, 2020.
Individual Exibition in Galeria Geraldes da Silva, Porto, Portugal.

PT
Ela que orbita ao contrário

Pelo telescópio ele observa-a constantemente. A cada dia tem crescido seu fascínio pela irmã telúrica. “Um ano demora 225 dias terrestres” anota ele. Olha para lá fixamente e parece que quanto mais a tenta ver mais o planeta perfura lentamente a sua órbita ocular.
“E se já tivesse sido uma Terra?”. Se foi devido a uma explosão galáctica qualquer e ao aumento exagerado de temperatura e pressão atmosférica que toda a vida foi apagada?
“92 vezes mais do que na Terra”.
Os seus olhos já começam a ficar cansados de tanto tentar decifrar aquela bola amarela. Justamente no momento de os tirar da lente tem a certeza que viu lá algum movimento… ou viu lá um som; já nem sabe. “Nós orbitamos todos no sentido dos ponteiros do relógio; ela orbita ao contrário.”

EN
She who orbits in reverse

“She who orbits in reverse” Through the telescope he watches her constantly. Each day, his fascination with the telluric sister has grown. “A year takes 225 earth days” he notes. He looks over there and it seems that the more he tries to see it, understand it, the more the planet slowly pierces his eye socket. “What if she had already been an Earth?” If it was due to some kind of galactic explosion and the consequent exaggerated increase in temperature and atmospheric pressure that all life was erased? “92 times more pressure than on Earth”. His eyes are already are getting tired from trying to decipher that yellow ball. Just when he was taking them out of the lens, he was sure that he saw some movement there … or saw a sound there; he doesn’t even know. “Everyone is orbiting in a clockwise direction; she orbits the other way around. It is her who orbits in revers.”

Extinction of a planet is both inspired by narratives from SF, determining that it is set to be on planet Venus as well as it gives possible futuristic predictions of coming times for the destiny of Earth, when climate change and humanitarian crises exceed its limits. A time when all resources are wasted and the damage done is so devastating that extinction of all species and ecosystems is the only consequence.

The story told in Extinction of a planet is set on Venus because of conditions and compositional characteristics quite similar to those on Earth. Another particularity that caught my interest is the presence of numerous extraterrestrial volcanoes. Volcanoes that are in regions that are often named after female goddesses and entities: Artemis, Ishtar, Atalanta.
Lets imagine that in fact there already was life on Venus and that this life has been extincted, or to put it from a different angle: that life has been shaped by extinction. In fact life can have many forms and most forms are rather unknown to us.

In the exhibition, many depictions of volcanoes are present, basically exemplifying the phases that this geological object is prevailing. The center pieces are three large textile panels: Abundance, Rebellion and Extinction. Those three stages also embody general developments on the planet, starting with flourishing life: the existence and thriving of everything the planet has to offer. The second fase is the beginning of collapse, when resources are being exploited unlimitedly and well-being of most life forms on Earth begins to shatter and loose protection. This leads to Extinction, the total collapse of all functions and organisms. This extinction can also be understood as a moment of restructuring that eventually will lead to a restoration, which ultimately is another kind of abundance, providing again conditions of creating life.

I imagine a world I haven’t visited – yet
a place that I can vaguely imagine
a place that reveals itself so much that it remains secret

an ineffable place
but still tangible to the imagination
which in itself is a contradiction

I am talking about
the headless planet,
the daughter of the shell,
born of foam,
war lover,
the hell,
the emperor’s mother,
a woman with long hair.

All women –
and no women,
a solemn feast
on soil with craters,
light before dawn
and after dark,
eternal light therefore.

a ghostriding chimera
(and this is literal)

a place without a moon
but with moonlight
a fictional object
and the only star that is solar

My daughter I will call Venus