curated by Luiza Teixeira de Freitas: Between 58 and 131 infinitely.

12.09.–28.10.2023

Roman Ondak, Alejandro Cesarco, Milena Dragicevic, Belén Uriel, Michel Zózimo
Exhibition view, curated by Luiza Teixeira de Freitas: Between 58 and 131 infinitely., Galerie Martin Janda, 2023
Photo: Manuel Carreon Lopez / kunst-dokumentation.com

Sara Bichão, Roman Ondak, Alejandro Cesarco, Milena Dragicevic, Belén Uriel, Michel Zózimo
Exhibition view, curated by Luiza Teixeira de Freitas: Between 58 and 131 infinitely., Galerie Martin Janda, 2023
Photo: Manuel Carreon Lopez / kunst-dokumentation.com

Sara Bichão, Roman Ondak
Exhibition view, curated by Luiza Teixeira de Freitas: Between 58 and 131 infinitely., Galerie Martin Janda, 2023
Photo: Manuel Carreon Lopez / kunst-dokumentation.com

Belén Uriel, Michel Zózimo, Alejandro Cesarco
Exhibition view, curated by Luiza Teixeira de Freitas: Between 58 and 131 infinitely., Galerie Martin Janda, 2023
Photo: Manuel Carreon Lopez / kunst-dokumentation.com

Belén Uriel, Jaime Welsh, Sara Bichão
Exhibition view, curated by Luiza Teixeira de Freitas: Between 58 and 131 infinitely., Galerie Martin Janda, 2023
Photo: Manuel Carreon Lopez / kunst-dokumentation.com

Belén Uriel, Jaime Welsh
Exhibition view, curated by Luiza Teixeira de Freitas: Between 58 and 131 infinitely., Galerie Martin Janda, 2023
Photo: Manuel Carreon Lopez / kunst-dokumentation.com

Sara Bichão
Exhibition view, curated by Luiza Teixeira de Freitas: Between 58 and 131 infinitely., Galerie Martin Janda, 2023
Photo: Manuel Carreon Lopez / kunst-dokumentation.com

Sijben Rosa
Exhibition view, curated by Luiza Teixeira de Freitas: Between 58 and 131 infinitely., Galerie Martin Janda, 2023
Photo: Manuel Carreon Lopez / kunst-dokumentation.com

Tadáskía
Exhibition view, curated by Luiza Teixeira de Freitas: Between 58 and 131 infinitely., Galerie Martin Janda, 2023
Photo: Manuel Carreon Lopez / kunst-dokumentation.com

Alexandre Estrela
Exhibition view, curated by Luiza Teixeira de Freitas: Between 58 and 131 infinitely., Galerie Martin Janda, 2023
Photo: Manuel Carreon Lopez / kunst-dokumentation.com

Belén Uriel
Insecta (2) , 2023
bullseye glass and iron
52 × 28 × 8 cm

Alejandro Cesarco
Long Casting (A Page on Regret), 2019
archival inkjet print
83 x 57 cm

Alejandro Cesarco
An Angry Silence, 2022
Farbe auf Wand
overall dimensions vary with the installation

Michel Zózimo
Notívagos , 2023
indian ink on cotton paper
45 x 36 cm

Michel Zózimo
Pezinho, 2023
indian ink on cotton paper
45 x 36 cm

Milena Dragicevic
Erections for Transatlantica (Geta), 2018
acrylic and oil on brown dyed canvas
148 x 91,5 cm

Belén Uriel
Marioneta, 2019
bullseye glass and polished brass
150 x 50 x 60 cm, Courtesy of the artist and Galeria Madragoa, Lisboa, Photo: Bruno Lopes

Roman Ondak
Erased Horizon, 2017
altered found painting (oil on canvas) and copper wire
43,5 x 50,5 x 2 cm

Roman Ondak
Blackout, 2017
altered found painting (oil on canvas) and copper wire
24,6 x 36,7 x 2,3 cm

Sara Bichão
Quase certo / Almost right, 2023
wood, jersey fabric, graphite, drago blood (dracaena draco), acryllic, ink, cotton, sheep wool, metal, mirror, clay
96 x 100 x 15 cm, Courtesy of the artist and Galeria Filomena Soares, Lisboa

Sara Bichão
UNDERWATER (ET), 2023
clay, glass, fabric, cane and paper
40 x 15 x 15 cm, Courtesy of the artist and Galeria Filomena Soares, Lisboa

Jaime Welsh
Dust, 2023
archival inkjet print on baryta paper
27 x 34 cm

Jaime Welsh
The Black Door, 2023
archival inkjet print
79 x 110 x 4 cm, Courtesy of the artist and Galeria Madragoa, Lisboa

Sijben Rosa
A little bit like the soul , 2023
wood, aluminium
53 x 38 x 24 cm

Sijben Rosa
A little bit like the soul , 2023
Single channel video

Tadáskía
Elas here elas there, 2023
charcoal, dry pastel and spray on recycled paper
2 parts, each 100 x 70 cm, Courtesy of the artist and Galeria Madragoa, Lisboa, Photo: Bruno Lopes

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Opening: Friday, 8th September 2023 12−7pm, & Saturday, 9th September 2023, 12−6pm
Duration: 8th September until 28th October 2023

Galerie Martin Janda is part of curated by 2023 – The Neutral, the gallery festival with international curators in Vienna. The exhibition Between 58 and 131 infinitely. is curated by Luiza Teixeira de Freitas and runs from September 8 until October 28, 2023.

The power of choice. To choose or not, to take a stance or to be neutral, or even taking a position to be neutral. Drawing from the complex and subjective concept of neutrality, this exhibition at Galerie Martin Janda brings into dialogue the practices of Sara Bichão, Alejandro Cesarco, Milena Dragicevic, Alexandre Estrela, Roman Ondak, Sijben Rosa, Tadáskía, Belén Uriel, Jaime Welsh and Michel Zózimo, exploring and looking at this concept in factual, abstract, or rather direct ways.

For Between 58 and 131 infinitely. which is part of the annual curated by festival in Vienna, the presented artworks revolve around the realm of the neutral within literature. At play in this exhibition is the intertwining of ideas that allude to the way in which literary works mirror the notion of the neutral, using several narrative techniques throughout the story. Ones that frequently intersect and include first or third person, and a kind of stream of consciousness; traditional spelling and linguistic rules that are often bent and sometimes outright broken.

The exhibition takes its title from Julio Cortazar’s iconic Hopscotch, where readers are presented with the thrilling choice of ending the story at chapter 57 or roaming infinitely through the promised non-sense between 58 and 131. There were other literary inspirations that should be taken into account; like The Winners, also from Cortazar, where a noisy and heterogeneous group of people win a prize for a luxurious cruise trip and are suddenly quarantined, having to let go their personalities and adapt to survive with the other; Herman Melville’s iconic Bartleby and his passive resistance “in preferring not to”; Nick Carraway, the narrator in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and his neutral standpoint throughout the novel allowing readers to form their own impression of the narrative. This also happens, in a completely different setting, in Toni Morrison’s Beloved. Also, the loss of individuality translated in Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale or the emotional detachment in Albert Camus’ The Stranger. The list of how literature references neutrality, in its many ways and forms, is in fact endless.

The quest for the neutral through metaphors, poetry, and dreamlike literature, or better said, a sort of freedom is an infinite endeavor. The concept of the neutral in literature is often subjective and varies depending on each interpretation of the specific context of the work. Some literary works go even further and blur the lines between neutrality and uncertainty, leaving readers to engage in an even deeper reflection or critical analysis. The decision to remain neutral can be complex and challenging, a virtue or a failure. Through this exhibition the hopes are in encouraging critical thought, challenging binary mindsets, and fostering empathy.

Luiza Teixeira de Freitas

Sara Bichão, born 1986 in Lisbon (PT), lives and works in Lisbon (PT).
Alejandro Cesarco, born 1975 in Montevideo (UY), lives and works in New York (US).
Milena Dragicevic, born 1965 in Knin (YU), lives and works in London (UK).
Alexandre Estrela, born 1971 in Lisbon (PT), lives and works in Lisbon (PT).
Roman Ondak, born 1966 in Žilina (SK), lives and works in Bratislava (SK).
Sijben Rosa, born 1988 in Alkmaar (NL), living and working in Amsterdam (NL) and Lisbon (PT).
Tadáskía, born 1993 in Rio de Janeiro (BR), lives and works in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo (BR).
Belén Uriel, born 1974 in Madrid (ES), lives and works in London (UK) and Lisbon (PT).
Jaime Welsh, born 1994 in Lisbon (PT), lives and works in London (UK).
Michel Zózimo, born 1977 in Santa Maria (BR), lives and works in Porto Alegre (BR).

Luiza Teixeira de Freitas (*1984) is an independent curator based in Lisbon. Among the various projects she is involved with, her curatorial work with private collections stands out, as well as her active relationship with independent publications and artist books, having launched her own publisher Taffimai in 2018. Although based in Portugal, she frequently works with projects in São Paulo, New York, London, Los Angeles and has also a strong connection with the Middle East. Luiza is a strategy consultant at the Delfina Foundation in London, on the Board of Directors of Bidoun, and also, President and Board member of Operação Nariz Vermelho, Portugal.