Artist
Joana Dionisio
Joana Dionisio (b. 1993) is a Portuguese photographer based in Porto, where she works as a freelancer on various commissioned and personal projects. Having first studied Audiovisual Communication Technologies, she completed an MA in Artistic Photography in 2021. Dionisio has exhibited her work in a range of solo and group exhibitions, whilst she was recently selected for FRESH EYES – a publication showcasing emerging European Photography Talent by GUP Magazine.
A world that speaks in your ear
In northern Portugal, between the Minho and the mountains, there is an area where history and legends merge. Melgaço is a place with strong cultural identity, recognised for its folklore and its unique landscape. Here, two elements are almost always related – water and femininity. Both are necessary for the fertility of the valley, becoming irreplaceable references in the imagination of Alto Minho. Myths, superstitions, tales and legends are an undeniable part of our common culture. This memory-based knowledge is a vestige of the past; it manifests in the way people move through society, changing their perception of the world.
Spiritual heritage is often hidden in rural areas, where people live in deep connection with the natural world. This project presents a collection of narratives from the region, directly from the heart of its people. The project seeks to reflect on the social value of these narratives and metaphors; where they appear simple, they often have deeper meaning. They offer wisdom in the face of human frailty. They arise from the need to explain the mysteries of the universe, as well as our place within it. From voice to voice they survive the centuries. Men die, but tales remain.
Maria Cabrita’s work investigates issues and subjects related to history, science and other non-artistic practices to question the nature of photography and its aspirations for objectivity. Referring to the illusionary and fragile aspects of the medium, her projects explore the interconnectivity between optical mirages, images and the act of seeing. Cabrita is currently studying towards a PhD at Belas-Artes, Art and Multimedia, Faculty of Fine Arts in Lisbon.
Joana Dionisio’s narratives are deeply rooted in autobiographical and personal memories, while also presenting intersubjective realities between human and non-human worlds through photographs that touch the very basic nature of our existence, the fragility of life, and our mortality. Her ongoing work entitled A world that speaks in your ear is a multi- layered visual, sensual and philosophical experience. Dionisio lives in Porto, and holds an MA in Artistic and Documentary Photography.
Marta Machado’s work examines the ambiguities of history, focusing on themes of colonialism, identity and territory. Her recent series Nos Txôn explores, through an autobiographical context, the photographic image as a tool of signification. Machado holds an MA in Photography from the School of Arts of the Catholic University of Porto, and is a part of the research project TRACTS at St. Andrew’s University.
Gonçalo C. Silva’s practice often focuses on themes related to the representation of the landscape and the relationship between humans and nature. His project What is left is a photographic investigation exploring ideas of belonging, and the possibility of finding the feeling of ‘home’. Silva is currently undertaking an MA in the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities from NOVA University of Lisbon.
Carolina Tardin studied at the Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Lisbon. Working with both images and text, her practice explores the possibilities of the medium of photography. Her project entitled me, you and the spaces between (eu, você e os espaços entre) touches on the notions of presence, recognition, and memory. It is a very intimate attempt at instant observation; a meta-language embodied by the author and full of poetic, fragile narratives.