VIDEO | MUSIC | PERFORMANCE

REZA PRO MAR – Rio de Janeiro/ 2016.

Selected to be part of 1) Exhibition “Boarderless: in perspective” by New York Foundation for the Arts”, curated by David Terry, Director and Curator, Awards & Grants. Berlin, Amsterdan, New York. 2016. 2) MONA Biennial e MONA Brazil, Exhibition online.

‘Borderless’ was a three-venue event series that took place in three cities in three different countries simultaneously: New York, Amsterdam and Berlin. The exhibition series focuses on the theme of living without borders or the challenges faced by borders presently and in the past along with what defines these borders, and how are they set will all be questions posed. For the exhibit, New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) invited 12 visionary artists working in the digital, electronic and film/media disciplines to respond to these question on borders throughout time via time-based work. With the historic Museum Van Loon as a back drop, it took a transhistorical look and comparison of borders and how they affect our futures. Sharing Perspectives is an international collaboration between Flux Factory, New York Foundation for the Arts and Node Center for Curatorial Studies.

BORDERLESS: IN PERSPECTIVE

“Reza pro mar” is a video/music/performance born from its song, that brings in its esthetic, lyrics and melody the pain/pleasure of being without borders – like the ocean. Its visual material brings the sea element, which is the greatest contrast of having and not having borders. This piece has been created in Brazil, although it carries the influences of the New York environment, which Cândida has been exposed to through the last years, after being a consistent immigrant artist absorbing materials from many lands and artistic territories. The music/lyrics has been created in Bahia, the strings and music production from a “favela” (guetto) in São Paulo, the visuals/performance from a beach and studio in Rio de Janeiro, and the mount/final edits in New York – a work process that started crossing the borders of 3 different states in a continental country (Brazil) of so many different cultures, and beyond that, the border of the US, where all this message gets its final shape. The nature of this piece is to be a cross border work, of lands, influences and artistic fields – music/performance/video. It’s poem talks about a feeling of being lost, hopeless – influenced by the refugee situation the world has seen. The ocean works as the mother that brings the connection between borders, the chance for a new life, the escape, the exit. The choreography and images of the video – the beach, the tears, the woman – they dialogue with the poem of the music. Also the contrast of dark/light, inside/outside, carried by the slow rhythmic movement of the song and orchestra.

REZA PRO MAR is a multi-media collaborative work between artists of music, performance and video, based on Cândida’s song and scene. It investigates the essential search for meaning and limits of contemporary art, religion, faith and society – all trough the freedom of being borderless. This work explores sensibilities around the pain/pleasure on being an outsider, and the connection with forces beyond life that can support this space of no border. The ocean and his Goddess is a frequent element in Candida’s work. The dialogue with these elements shapes this story of contrasts, limit and no limit, just like the ocean.

THE SEA – THEME

To many spiritual and mystic traditions, the ocean is a magic symbol, that brings meanings related to birth, life, emotions and travels. African religions relate a feminine force and Goddess to sacred waters – very present also in American cultures, South and Central. The ocean is the main symbol of being borderless, and at the same time, water can adapt to any format of any border. Water can touch ground and sky, from top to bottom of this planet. It’s a flexible element, rich of life, where everything is possible – life and death. The sea has been the vehicle of land discoveries, of transferring material between countries and has been the scape for many refugees. Tears of hope and sorrow have fulfilled the waters of oceans, crossing information, objects and people through borders. The ocean connects all – what has and doesn’t have borders.

Choreographic conception: The choreographic composition of the film “Reza para o Mar” has its poetics on Brazilian nature, mainly on the dance movements of the sea and the open space of ocean. The choreographic research process is created within the influences of life space, connecting the sea and sand to a dry crying pray. The multiple possibilities of a praying lamenting dance were created and redetermined through the repetition of fragmented free associated images.  The choreographer Denise Telles-Hofstra has created this piece strongly influenced by her research on Rudolf Laban’s, Pina Bausch’s and Angel Vianna’s inspiring composing process.

Film conception: The film research follows the same path as the choreographic investigation, where the camera acts as a choreographer –  searching for poetry on space relationships, and the choreography acts as a camera. Based on these principles, the director Denise entitles her work as Choreographic-Cinema. This concept is also used by several creators, to mention some the artists Glauber Rocha, Francois Truffaut and Maya Deren.

MEMÓRIA E FADO

Rio de Janeiro, 2013.

Selected to be part of Exhibition “Archimed’s Bathtub” by New York Foundation for the Arts”. Brooklyn, NY, US. 2014

See more videos at www.youtube.com/candidamusic