Procession: Praise and Sanctify
02 MAY 2024 - 26 AUG 2024
MAAT Gallery
Procession: Praise and Sanctify exhibition takes place in partnership with Manicómio, an artistic creation structure with a gallery and art studio with resident artists who have experienced or are experiencing mental illness, in a coworking space open to the public since 2018 in Beato, Lisbon. The exhibition brings together works by Anabela Soares, Cláudia R. Sampaio, Filipe Cerqueira, Joana Ramalho, Micaela Fikoff and Pedro Ventura.
"Procession" is an exploratory journey into complexity of being, delving into human, social and artistic dignity. A celebration of madness, seen here not as a stigma but as a path to "enlightenment" and acceptance. Through this artistic endeavour, mental illness (there is no reason to avoid it or not address it) is not seen as a burden, but as a cornerstone for recognition and legitimization.
The intervention of the participating visitor is equally transformative, as they embark on a ceremonial construction symbolizing the journey of the "Mad People" – a community united in its faith in madness as a form of "salvation" and revelation. A prayer around "blessed madness" with each artistic piece offered up as a sacrifice by a unique and deeply personal vision of the human mind, soul and experience.
"Procession" is equally a ritual of praise and sanctification of those who experience it, a blessing upon them.
