Shared projections

 

It is perhaps characteristic of the Portuguese people, always looking out to the sea, to scan the horizon for new directions towards which pushing themselves, leaving behind what is most reassuring and defined, sending further goals and expectations. Photographer João Henriques is not immune from this tendency as he himself tells us.

 

In “Capital Reflex” I tried to find images that could be used as a metaphor to the current state of the Portuguese scene. Despite the title it should concern not only economical aspects, but also suggest a larger frame that would include social, political and other aspects as well, as a reconnaissance that everything is interconnected. Most of these dynamics are common with other cultures and countries so if language could be a barrier to a more global identity, images might break that obstacle driving us to a realm of shared experience. In a more inward approach, landscape or the local are here seen as places of projection of expectations, conventions and preconceived notions, that can be defined not only by its mediation and “mediatisation”, but also through an experiential relationship. The aim of using man altered landscapes and places is to tap the potential of the image both as a document and as a trigger of emotions.

 

 

Photo:

© Courtesy of João Henriques

www.joaohenriques.com

(click on the image at right for more pictures)