Art exhibition features collaboration by movie director, sculptor

Art exhibition features collaboration by movie director, sculptor. July. 07, 2016 07:53. by 손택균기자 sohn@donga.com. A joint exhibition entitled "Distant Rooms" by movie director Pedro Costa (58) and sculptor Rui Chafes (50) who hail from Portugal, will take place at Ilmin Gallery in Seoul’s Jongno district through August 14.

After holding their first joint exhibition at the Porto Serralves contemporary art museum in Portugal in 2005, Costa and Chafes have conducted joint projects under the theme "Time and Memory" at Hara Museum in Tokyo, Japan and other places. The special exhibition, which is their fifth duo artist presentation, will showcase more than 40 videos and sculpture and installation artworks.

Costa’s videos gain diverse "filters of views," penetrating installation and sculpture works created by Chafes. In contrast, Chafes’ black sculptures acquire dynamic shadows by using Costa’s video as lighting.

Costa produced a number of movies that realistically describe pessimistic aspects of life in human society by using foreign migrant workers in Lisbon as models. Notably, he won attention from international film festivals including Cannes Film Festival and the Venice Film Festival with his third full-length film "Bones," which was released in 1997.

Chafes often uses techniques in which huge steel sculptures weighing more than 100 kilograms are hanged in the air or installed as if they are light floating objects. In the exhibition, the artist enables audience members to see monologue by a figure in Costa’s video through a small hole on his 2005 work entitled "See How I Am Tremble," which reminds people of a prison interview room.