no longer with the memory but with its future

“no longer with the memory but with its future” a solo exhibition by the artist Mónica de Miranda, curated by Paula Nascimento on the occasion of Biennale Arte 2022, La Biennale di Venezia. 

The exhibition brings together a new body of work by Mónica de Miranda – an interdisciplinary Portuguese artist of Angolan origin whose research-informed practice investigates convergences between politics, identity, gender, memory, and place, as well as the complexities of identity construction within her geographies of affection – and is structured around a video work “Path to the Stars” that finds inspiration in Agostinho Neto’s homonymous poem and was shot in the River Kwanza, Angola’s longest river. The vitality and strength of the ecosystem of the river function as an analogy between the body and water and its relationship to history– the river is linked to the history of the Atlantic.

The exhibition also features photographic work exploring the entanglements between femininity and nature and a text-based installation. Through an oppositional gaze towards history, Mónica’s works advance important discussions about belonging and future-making in the contemporary Anthropocene era. 

At a time when humanity is facing various challenges such as increased discrimination, global warming, wars and ecological disasters, “no longer with the memory but with its future” functions as an opportunity to share and seek future directions through creative reflection and imagination.