As a sculptor, André Banha always departs from the total understanding of a specific space to appropriate it by means of constructions, usually in wood and crafted as if in an architectonic performance. Light plays an important role in the presentation of the idea, contributing to a scenographic situation where the public plays the part of active viewers.Â
In Tallinn, André Banha displays a cosmic object reminding us of the closeness we have to the sky, even if we rarely acknowledge it´s pure physical co-existence (and the possibility of an encounter with planetary objects such as this "meteor").Â
André Banha was born in 1980 and lives and works in Coruche, Portugal. In 2006, he completed the degree in Visual Arts at Escola Superior de Artes e Design, Caldas da Rainha, Portugal. Since 2006, he has been appearing in several art shows and urban art events, such as Bella Skyway Festival in Torun, Poland, or the Lumina Festival, in Lisbon.
In a world of merchandise and mystification, Banha´s work demands of us something as simple (and difficult) as sheer Human co-presence with form. He puts us in contact with the essential: the essential of a space constructed to be crossed/experienced/lived/observed, a wooden space/object crafted with utmost generosity in order for the idea to be both visual and tridimensionally stated. Beyond words. Or at least besides them.
Since 2007, Caeiro has proposed in collaboration with Indrek Leht several urban art interventions in Tallinn, in the framework of Valgus Festival, namely work by Pedro Cabral Santo and Moov with Miguel Faro (from Portugal), as well as by Spanish artist Javier Núñes Gasco. Light is definitely a key topic connecting all artists presented. Now, in Design Night, this new piece by Banha is particularly representative of the international project VICENTE, happening in Lisbon every year since 2011. Caeiro’s VICENTE is an initiative about mythical public space, departing from the narratives of Saint Vincent, Patron Saint of Lisbon, to engage with a contemporary approach of symbolic citizenship; in the last edition, opened this September, the Estonian Raoul Kurvitz is the guest artist, with an exceptional immersive installation – a pagan sacred space – realized in an old Christian chapel in Belém. Kurvitz’s show is on until end of October.
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All these exchanges will soon develop into an even more dynamic cooperation platform between Estonian and Southern cultures, since a new project will connect eight European streets in six countries. Go Flaneur – The Offbeat Streets of Europe Network will soon be launched, and Tallinn is to be an active partner in this new cultural concept, which is led by Projecto Travessa da Ermida in Portugal. In 2015, curious people from around the Globe will have an opportunity to experience different streets and their secrets, through the lens of art, urban culture and gastronomy. The Project is a breakthrough offer for moment hunters, who fancy being en route.Â
