River Flows, 2016

An exhibition of installation works at MIMO (Museum of Moving Image) in Leiria, Portugal, with Ines Amado.

This exhibition represents the culmination of an extended dialogue between artists José Ferreira and Inês Amado. Developed over a protracted period of engagement with the city of Leiria, the conceptual underpinnings of the exhibition were shaped through their respective roles as foreigner and flâneuse. In navigating the urban landscape, they transgressed zones of resistance and integrated themselves into communal spaces, embodying spatial politics. These embodied practices find a symbolic counterpart in the river Lys, a significant symbolic feature that bisects the city. The river serves as a metaphorical repository, accumulating material and immaterial culture fragments, reflecting contemporary experiences, and evoking historical memories.

The artworks presented in this exhibition delve into the intricate dynamics of flow, transformation, and the temporality inherent in the concept of displacement. They serve as visual and conceptual meditations on the fluidity of identity, the mutability of space, and the transient nature of human experience. By focusing on the river Lys as a central motif, the exhibition explores the river's role as a physical and metaphorical conduit that captures the essence of continuous change and displacement. The exhibition explores how geographical features can serve as symbolic landscapes, reflecting broader socio-cultural and psychological dimensions.