METANOIA–ORGANIC PROCESS / 2005-2020
MEMENTO MORI BIOMEDIA: ILLNESS, ART AND MEDICINE \\ MACQ MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART QUERÉTARO \\ MEXICO 2020
Cecilia Bullo 2006-2019 \\ sound work collaboration with Acchiappashpirt \\ 2019
Metanoia–Organic Process was presented at Memento Mori Biomedia: Illness, Art, and Medicine, curated by Felipe Osornio, Meritxell Rosell and Lula C. Sánchez. A video exhibition for which Cecilia Bullo was invited to participate, which brought together artistic proposals from different part of the world that incorporate biotechnological methods to address, question, or decode medical knowledge surrounding the body and illness.
Opening Reception 13 November 19:30pm \\ running until 9 December 2019 Macq Museum Of Contemporary Art Querétaro México
Supported by Culture Ireland and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council
Based on Antonin Artaud’s postulation of the Body without Organs, in this work Cecilia Bullo explores perspectives of the schizophrenic body and corporal realities. Fossilised amorphous organs carved by the artist in stone - oscillate to Artaud’s paranoiac and miraculous BwO and the conflict with the lack of bodily and pathological unity. The work also explores Freudian's phobias and femicide. The video work was accompanied by a sound composition by Acchiappashpirt.
Music: by Acchiappashpirt
Composed and performed by Jonida Prifti
Jonida Prifti: vocals, vocoder synthesizer
SDT: editing, sound effects design, production year: 2019
Antonin Artaud's life story connects art, illness, and medicine, especially through his trips to Mexico and Ireland. In 1936, he traveled to Mexico to explore indigenous culture and seek spiritual insight. His experiences there influenced his view of life as theatrical and the relationship between the physical and spiritual. In 1937, Artaud acquired a cane in Mexico, which he thought was important and linked to Saint Patrick. This belief inspired him to take the cane back to Ireland, symbolising his search for redemption and a deeper connection to a world beyond his troubled life. The cane in Bullo’s work symbolises more than just an object; it connects Irish and Mexican cultures through Artaud's interpretation.
His battles with schizophrenia shape this narrative, showcasing his fragmented identity and the struggles he faced in merging his experiences. By exploring Artaud's journeys, the work illustrates how cultural items can represent psychological states and the relationship between art and mental health. This approach helps us understand Artaud not only as a writer but as a complex person facing challenges related to identity, belief, and creativity. Cecilia Bullo series of works dedicated to aspects from Artaud’s life and pshychotic mind also wants to highlight how art can be healing for individuals and communities. It encourages discussion on how Artaud's story reflects broader societal issues concerning the body, mental health, and the healing power of artistic expression.
JC, 2021