Hernâni Reis Baptista and João Pedro Trindade's practice delves into the tactile, deeply textured, and openly obsessive universe of the diverse surfaces the world has to offer. Whether it is the density of soil, the tools and machinery, the natural elements, or the synthetic materials resulting from industrialization, or the waste produced massively on a daily basis, the body—whether human or animal—is itself a myriad of possibilities that opens up for the microscopic or macroscopic exploration of surfaces. The mechanisms of concealment, invisibility, or camouflage are themes explored in various forms: through molds, mimicry, footprints, and other variations.
For the first time, these two artists have set out to share the same space and exhibition project, based on a set of ideas they have been working on individually but that are mutually connected: that liminal state of creation, grounded in the observation of reality from different perspectives.
Hernâni Reis Baptista (Vila do Conde, 1986) lives and works in Porto. He has a degree in Fine Arts - Multimedia, from the Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Porto, where he was selected with the acquisition prize in the finalists exhibition in 2013. He began to exhibit in 2011, highlighting the group exhibitions CAVE, at SOLAR, Cinematic Art Gallery (Vila do Conde, 2012), Sem Quartel, at Sismógrafo (Porto, 2014), When someone died the Greeks asked: did he had passion (Porto, 2016) and Não é ainda o mar (Gaia, 2018), both curated by Óscar Faria, among others. Individually he presented Mesa and Falha at Espaço Campanhã (Porto, 2011 and 2013), Tropismos, at Espaço Vésta (Porto, 2015), T-1000, at Floating Islands, Maus hábitos (Porto, 2015) , Dog eat dog, at Sismógrafo (Porto, 2016, Curated by Óscar Faria) and Intraduzibilidade, Untranslatability, Unübersetzbarkeit, at Klub Genau, part of "KARAT, the ocean and the river" art festival (Cologne, Germany, 2013), The Confession of the flesh, at Kubik Gallery (Porto, 2018), among others. His work is represented in private collections and international institutions, such as Fondazione Sandretto re Rebaudengo, Torino, Italia, among others. He also participated in artistic residencies like “360º Context and Process” by Triangle Network in Hangar (Lisbon, 2015) and Inter.Meada (Alvito, 2017). He works mainly with installation, sculpture, video, and various digital processes.
João Pedro Trindade (Aveiro, Portugal, 1990) is a visual artist and member of Teatro de Marionetas do Porto, where he works in the construction of puppets, props, and sets. His work involves the use of various media such as painting, sculpture, installation, and photography. He has been collaborating in projects of cultural development and dissemination in the city of Porto since 2012, such as Painel and Nartece; he is currently a member of Sismógrafo’s team. He has been exhibiting regularly since 2012 in group and solo exhibitions, among which are: Under the rug, Sismógrafo; e... e... e... o que cresce entre, e no meio das outras coisas, L+S Projects; à fina força, Sismógrafo; Tirado do sério, Anozero: Bienal de Arte Contemporânea de Coimbra; Anuário 19, Galeria Municipal do Porto; Pictures and Cream. The Confidential Report of the Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy & Friends, Volume 1, Cristina Guerra Contemporary Art; Uma linha dividida em duas partes, Kubikgallery; Delimitação da escala, Galeria Painel.
Sismógrafo is an independent art space based in Porto, Portugal. Since 2014, Sismógrafo has had a regular programme offering a wide range of free activities, with an ongoing programme of exhibitions, performances, experimental music concerts, and literature and thought conferences, involving dozens of creators from different experiences and parts of the world.
The space also offers regular visits to the exhibitions, and talks with the artists, with a focus on building a closer relationship and dialogue with the community around it. Sismógrafo presents a public programme of workshops, guided tours and activities with schools, as well as an editorial programme, with the publication of catalogues, silkscreens, artist's books and the collection "Thought-Images", which last June 2024 saw the launch of the last six books at STATIONS.
In 2023, Sismógrafo welcomed the exhibition Complex Places, by Sofia Duchovny and Michael Kleine, curated by STATIONS, marking the first of many collaborations between Sismógrafo and other independent art spaces around the world.
Sismógrafo
Rua do Heroísmo, 318
Porto, Portugal
Sismografo.org
