Martinho Dias

It didn’t take long for the whole world to be aware of their own powerlessness in the face of an invisible virus. When the effects began to be felt in Portugal, my exhibition “Penas” was taking place at the Cultural and Congress Center of Caldas da Rainha. The exhibition was receiving many visitors, but it was forced to close earlier, in the middle of the planned date. Later, in October, the exhibition “Trigger”, in Lisbon, already had the peculiarity of having been inaugurated with masks, at an unusual time, with conditioned access and a reduction in the number of visitors for fear of contagion.

In spite of everything, the beginning of the exhibition still coincided with a period of some excitement and belief that everything was improving. The second wave of the pandemic was still a mirage, but two weeks after the opening of the exhibition, it became a reality, further affecting its visibility. In the last 365 days of the pandemic, I continued to work regularly for an exhibition (“Trigger”) and on pre-orders. Most of them remained, but others, not many, were on standby due to the worsening economic problems of clients. Standby positions were also planned abroad.

The announced lockdowns did not frighten me so much. In fact, I have always been in lockdown at studio. But there was a difference – being in lockdown by your own will is not the same as being in lockdown by obligation.

Visits to the studio were also postponed or canceled for a long period of time, as were visits to exhibitions, concerts, meetings. Even when this was possible, the obligation to wear a mask, social distance, time restrictions and all the others, did not contribute to motivation. I’ve never been short of material. I always liked to do the shopping directly in the store, in Porto, but this was not always possible. Sometimes, in spite of myself, I was forced to shop online.

Despite the power of the pandemic, its far-reaching consequences and the various issues raised, I never felt motivated to represent it in any work.

This painting started from a paradox between the speed imposed or desired and the final result. The inertia of the action results from the cyclist’s inability to overcome his own nature hampered by the characteristics of gym bikes and the umbrellas themselves – a symbol of protection.

Dancers and protesters give life to an apparently common show, based on parallel and distinct choreographies. It is a work about ambiguity and false truths.