Isabel Gómez
15.03.2020 - 31.08.2020

Isabel Gómez started her residency at INSTITUTO on 15th of March 2020, matching the compulsory quarantine period in Portugal. The condition of isolation made her living condition somewhat uncommon, with constant appropriation and spatial adaptation. This exhibition presents the work produced during this particular time.

Chakana (or Andean cross, a symbol that represents the union of man in harmony with nature and the spiritual world) stems from a journey through the Equatorian Andes and becomes a visual and stylised exploration of colour and geometry. The records of this trip are intersected with the experience of INSTITUTO’s space and everyday life in Porto, through a collection of found artifacts and bonds with artists that inhabit the city of Porto.

At the end of this singular time, we invited Isabel to open her atelier to the public, sharing her experience at the studio she inhabited and extending the exhibition to other rooms in INSTITUTO. Andy James is a british artist met by Isabel during her stay, who joins the project with a complement of staging and spectacle, ephemerality and festivity.

Bio
Isabel Gómez grew up in Ecuador and moved to Portugal 5 years ago. She studied Interior and Space Design at ESAD.CR and Exhibition Design at Politecnico di Milano. Isabel looks for inspiration in Nature. She has a great passion for hand drawing and photography, using them as means for self expression and visual learning. 

Public presentation: Exhibition "Chakana", 14-28.08.2020
Participant: Andy James

Photos:
Cristiana Alves, Isabel Gómez