In the year between editions of the Coimbra contemporary art biennial, called Anozero, Canadian duo Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller have been invited for an exhibition set to run from April 5 to July 5. The display spans nearly 30 years of their careers, featuring both collaborative and individual works, according to the event’s organizers.
Taking place in a once-abandoned monastery that had seen various uses and is now destined to become a five-star hotel, the artists delve into the shadows, echoes, and ghosts of the site, seeking a dialogue between space and artworks, where the sculptural potential of sound is emphasized.
“For us, it was always clear that entering this exhibition will be like diving without a safety line, an exposure that strips defenses. It is an immersive experience. More than pieces of art, these are immersive experiences based on the sculptural possibilities of sound,” stated Carlos Antunes, director of the Círculo de Artes Plásticas de Coimbra (CAPC), during a press conference presenting the exhibition.
The director, from one of the organizations behind the biennial (along with the Coimbra City Council and the University), suggested that visitors will be “engulfed” by the exhibition.
At the Monastery of Santa Clara-a-Nova, attendees will have the chance to see and hear pieces such as ‘The Infinity Machine,’ which features 150 antique mirrors and is being shown for the first time outside the Americas. This installation is accompanied by magnetic frequencies captured from the Voyager mission. In another part of the building, ‘The Forty Part Motet’ will be staged in the refectory, with 40 speakers arranged in an oval formation, each playing one of the 40 individually recorded voices of a 16th-century choral piece.
Janet Cardiff expressed her awe at working in the space of Santa Clara-a-Nova Monastery.
“Spaces like this don’t exist anymore. In most parts of the world, such spaces would have been gentrified, but a building like this, with peeling paint, makes one reflect on history, memories, and this closely relates to our work,” she said, noting that sound also retrieves those memories and even the spirits that linger.
George Bures Miller remarked that this exhibition compelled the couple to revisit their past works, emphasizing that they never intended to “compete with the space” of the location. Instead, the aim was for the pieces to be amplified by it.
“It’s thrilling for us to present works that aren’t usually shown,” he noted, specifically regarding ‘The Infinity Machine,’ which requires a very high ceiling and has only been exhibited once, in Houston, USA, ten years ago.
Carlos Antunes reflected that while the exhibition speaks of shadows, it could also evoke dreams, aligning with the pursuit of aspirations.
“This exhibition is the realization of an absolute dream, with two artists we admire completely,” he added.
José Manuel Silva, the mayor of Coimbra and a conference attendee, stated that Anozero has put Coimbra on the global map, and he remains optimistic about the ongoing growth of the biennial.
