It is a partnership that arouses upon the letter A of Paul Valéry conceived by the artists Antonio Barros and Antonio Dantas. It is the act of writing a book in a language and format that is different from the ordinary. It is the domain of visualism with different characteristics. It is an understanding of writing in its deep activity and visualism. The space symbolizes a book, every article reveals the particularity of the identity that is Madeira and its main characteristics of resilience, the capacity to innovate and start over every time, after all the adversities that nature keeps formulating. It starts with the word: "In the beginning it will be sleeping, animal sound asleep. Warm and peaceful mysterious isolated mass, closed cabinet full of life carrying thru the day my story and my possibility. It ignores me and preserves me. You're my inexpressible permancy. Your treasure is my secret. Silence, my silence. Absence, my absence ...".
What are these "electrografias"?
António Barros: Only the works of António Datas are "electrografias", My articles afirm themselves thru the "obgestos", recent works, from 2010. It's about the tragedy that occurred in Madeira, tranlate in the texto of the text of the work "al(a)ma". The ties(inscribe in insulae) are an iconography I have explored along my route on the experimental poetry. I also have other elements of the garment, clothes and contributions that are worked into the lining of the person. Poetry affirmed through these communication elements.
The color is part of this vision?
AB: I work these two colors(white -some of allclors versus black absence of color) that I explore within a territorial identity. My work is basically just like Antonio Dantas, within the relationship between black and white.
Hence the "insula", why?
AB: It's an island, and in terms originating of its roman origin it translates into a popular life experiences. It's a compliment to my roots and a reflection of the places of experience that always end up there in the "insula", which is an island in the archipelago, Madeira is one of them. I live in Coimbra that eventually has the structure of an "insula"; it may be surrounded by sea, but can also be surrounded by land. It's a concept.
It is an inner process?
AB: The whole artistic narrative is an interior process regardless of narrative that explores.
The narrative of this book is the island.
Antonio Dantas: Yes, basically this space is the place-book. Both António Barros and I are visual artists, very important in this area.
Then there are chapters?
AD: You cannot call it chapters, is a text that we have introduced. Reading is the interpretation that people can do; we left open the message, as the texts have and also poetry. The island is present. We are both from Madera.
Is your self-portrait?
AD: I call it a character. This is a performative narrative process, is an image with a sequence with a certain scale. It is a unique work open to interpretation by gesture, since I and António Barros are also linked to performance. Are overlays that take advantage of colors, black, white and grays that may arise through the shadows, or juxtapositions of my work. This identity allowed that we could make this exhibition together. It is a very consistent work in this area, this expression in black and white is very strong. In addition to this experimental side, there is a thread where the island appears, there is the text, and the book is the place in the background, the meaning of this exhibition. We start from a text of Paul Valéry, the alphabet, which is the letter A, which is the first. We have both have names starting with the same letter, but my writing reflects my concerns. Each artist has their language and their independence.
