Exhibition “Time Machine” (Máquina do Tempo) by Joana Paiva Sequeira, José Alexandre São Marcos and Paulo Romão Brás
Castelo Exhibition Gallery, Paleochristian Basilica of Mértola Museum and Mário Elias Arts House, from 18 September to 23 October 2021
“Once upon a time there was a human need to count, to measure time. Once upon a time there was a human passion for life and the desire to prolong it by cheating time. Once upon a time there was fascination with speed, when life was carried away by time.
And then there are places that make us want, that bring together need, desire and amazement.
Mértola is like this. So the exhibition could only be called TIME MACHINE< here, it makes more sense. Here is its full expression.
What best defines human beings? Their biology, their religion, their philosophy, there is a list of skills that are unique to humans, it is impossible to weave all these threads into an answer, it would be arrogant.
There is, however, one characteristic, the "invention of human time". How to prove this existence, to travel on the machine.
Despite the different calendars, with dates that do not coincide, like in a kaleidoscope of colours and events, since the first known human representations, there has been something that questions us, like the phrase "know thyself", and situates us in human time; its language is Art. This is truly unique global time, for it gives us a mere minute:
… once upon a time there were humans!