press - Cristina Guerra

JOÃO LOURO
THE COLD MAN
OPENING 21 JAN . 10PM
22 JAN . 5 MAR
Each man kills the thing he loves
Written by Oscar Wilde, the sentence was used by Gavin Friday, Virgin Prunes’ main vocalist, to title his
first solo album, and sung with nonchalant abandon by Jeanne Moreau in Querelle, the film by Rainer W.
Fassbinder.
On that October afternoon, sitting in his customary coffee-shop, Mr. Cold contentedly sipped his bourbon
while smoking his fourth lucky strike. He was at ease. He had just killed.
Medium height, flawless hair and dark suit, he looked superb. To a less attentive look, he could pass by a
lawyer, or a solicitor. Looking closer though, one would see the briefcase from which sprang an English
translation of Les fleurs du mal (1857), by Baudelaire, the inventor of modernity and love, which was,
according to him, the “the natural occupation of men of leisure”.
The book provoked a scandal when it was first published, and started the symbolist movement in literature,
moving apart from realism and naturalism in its exploration of the unconscious. We were witnessing the
emancipation of modern art. In one of the prefaces he wrote for the book, Baudelaire stated that his task
was to “extract beauty from Evil”. In yet another preface to the same text, the author claimed that he “was
accused of all the crimes he described”. Certainly.
Mr. Cold recalled the memory of the girl’s face on the beach. Beautiful and delicate, so obviously erotic
a combination. And fatal, thereof. On the dark oak finish table, Mr. Cold answered with visible bore to a
questionnaire sent to him by his publisher, on writing and symbolism, whatever that may be. It was time
to, between cigarettes, devise his next story.
Outside, day was giving way to night. That perplexing moment when all is possible.
Isabel Nogueira
Rua de Santo António à Estrela . 33 . 1350 - 291 Lisboa Portugal | www.cristinaguerra.com | [email protected] | T +351 213 959 559
JOÃO LOURO (1963) lives and works in Lisbon. He studied architecture at the University of Lisbon and painting at the Ar.Co School of
Visual Art.
João Louro’s body of work encompasses painting, sculpture, photography and video. A natural descendant of conceptual and minimal art, João
Louro has sought to override the romantic paradigm using the importance and role of the viewer, who completes the work of art. One of his
work’s main concerns is the reorganization of the visual world and what visuality means. Another important issue is the language in all of its
possibilities and aspects.
João Louro was invited by Maria de Corral to participate in The Experience of Art in the Italian Pavilion at the 51st International Art Exhibition of
the Biennale di Venezia. The most recent exhibitions include “Boy meets Girl”, Solar, Art Gallery Cinemática, Vila do Conde (2013); “The Return
of the Real”, Museum of Neo Realismo de Vila Franca de Xira (2012); “Territórios de Transição”, BES Arte & Finança; “Contest Territories”,
Dorsky Gallery, New York; “More Young Americans”, L’Enclos des Bernardins, Paris; “L’Écriture du Desastre”, Galeria Fernando Santos, Porto;
“Monocromo”, Fundación RAC, Pontevedra; “Riso”, Electricity Museum, Lisboa; “In God we Trust”, BES Arte & Finança, Lisboa; “Smoke and
Mirrors” Cristina Guerra Contemporary Art, Lisbon (2011); “My Dark Places” MACRO – Contemporary Art Museum of Rome and The Great
Houdini, Contemporary Art Center of Bragança (2010); “The Hustler” Visual Arts Center of Coimbra and “Running with Bonnie & Clyde”
Caramulo Museum (2009); “Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison e Elvis Presley” Fernando Santos Gallery, Oporto and “LA Confidential” Christopher
Grimes, Los Angeles (2008); “Big Bang” Cristina Guerra Contemporary Art, Lisbon (2007); “InSite 05 - Art Practices in the Public Domain” San
Diego/Tijuana (2005); “Blind Runner” Cultural Center of Belém, Lisbon (2004).
His work is included in several major collections such as the Arco Collection Foundation, Madrid; the Margulies Collection in Miami, Florida; the
Jumex Foundation in Mexico; the Serralves Foundation Collection (MACS) in Portugal, BES Collection; António Cachola Collection; MACRO
– Museo d’Arte Contemporanea Roma, Italy.
His work is represented by Cristina Guerra Gallery Contemporary Art in Lisbon, Portugal as well as Christopher Grimes Gallery in Los Angeles,
USA.
Rua de Santo António à Estrela . 33 . 1350 - 291 Lisboa Portugal | www.cristinaguerra.com | [email protected] | T +351 213 959 559