Victor Gonçalves (São Paulo, Brazil, 1989) is an artist whose work is driven by drawing as a way of thinking about the world, seeking to transcend traditional conceptions of the discipline. For him, drawing is the syntax of a language, the way in which thought and the coherence of his investigation are expressed. This coherence can be identified in the way the artist names his works, avoiding titles and instead evoking words to challenge the canons of the discipline he addresses. Whether in installations, videos, or graffiti on paper, our gaze is invited to hold its breath for a few seconds and contemplate: this is hanging by a thread. Thus, his work points in several directions: criticizing the utilitarianism of wanting to instrumentalize art, discussing the materiality and fragility of human relationships with the world, and employing irony to think of space as an unequal accumulation of space.
Having graduated in Geography from UNESP, Victor Gonçalves expanded his knowledge in visual arts and drawing at Ar.Co in Lisbon. His academic trajectory also includes a specialization in Philosophy from UNIFESP and extension courses in Art History from IEB-USP. Additionally, he participated in the Meetings and Reflections with artist Iole de Freitas at EAV Parque Lage in Rio de Janeiro. In 2022, he took part in the XXII International Art Biennial of Cerveira with the artwork “In the end everything is a carbon chain,” and the same year he participated in Anonyme Zeichner at the Anke Backer Gallery in Berlin. In 2022, Victor Gonçalves received research support from the “Presente do Indicativo” project by DGartes and support for the project “Expography, thinking and constructing the exhibition space,” also from DGartes. In 2021, he had his first solo exhibition titled “Por um Fio” curated by Cristiana Tejo at NowHere in Lisbon. In the same year, he participated in the Nectart artistic residency in Barcelona, with an exhibition at the Espronceda Gallery in July as part of the Art Nou festival. In 2020, one of his works was acquired by the Museum of Modern Art of Rio de Janeiro for the Cinemateca collection. In the same year, he participated in the Grão artistic residency in Aveiro, Portugal. Questions about space, territory, matter, and affects are the elements that compose the poetics of his artistic research. He currently lives and works between São Paulo, Locarno, and Lisbon.
Exhibitons
Individual
2021 – Por Um Fio, no NowHere, Lisboa, PT;
Colletive
2024 – Embedded – Lisbon, PT;
2024 – The Skin Of The Earth – Performance – Lisbon, PT;
2024 – _Nós – Nucleo Contemporaneo Galeria, Madrid, ES;
2023 – Alcazar, Galeria Alfaia, Algarve, PT;
2022 – Ba.zar, Galeria na montra, Algés, PT;
2022 – XXII Bienal Internacional de Arte de Cerveira, PT;
2022 – ANONYME ZEICHNER, Anke Becker Gallery, Berlin, AL;
2021 – Pequenos formatos, Galeria Monumental, Lisboa, PT
2021 – Multirão – NowHere, Lisboa, PT
2021 – Corrente de ar, Lisboa, PT
2021 – fuera(de)forma, Espronceda, Barcelona, ES
2021 – As Pedras Também Constroem Coisas, Faculdade de Belas-Artes de Lisboa, PT;
2020 – Encruzilhada, NowHere, Lisboa, PT;
2020 – Um Grão na Asa, Albergaria a Velha, PT;
2020 – Club, NowHere, Lisboa, PT;
2020 – Filme selecionado para o Festival Internacional de Cinema Experimental – Dobra – MAM Rio de Janeiro, BR;
2019 – Mostra de trabalhos da residência artística TNSC 2018 e 2019, Lisboa, PT;
2019 – Exposição de Verão da Ar.Co, Lisboa PT;
2013 – Exposição “Manifesto Estendido” in Festival Baixo Centro, São Paulo, BR;
Education
2021 – Encontros e reflexões com Iole de Freitas, EAV Parque Lage, Rio de Janeiro, BR
2017 – 2020 – Artes Visuais – Desenho e Pintura – Ar.Co. Lisboa – PT;
2014 – Curso de Extensão em História da Arte – IEB – USP, São Paulo, BR;
2014 – Especialização em Filosofia – UNIFESP, São Paulo, BR;
2013 – Bacharel em Geografia – UNESP, São Paulo, BR;
2012 – Licenciado em Geografia – UNESP, São Paulo, BR;
Residences
2021 – Poliedro, Residencia Virtual,
2021 – Residência Artística Nectart Conectart, Barcelona, ES
2020 – Residência Artística Grão, Aveiro, PT;
2019 – Residência Artística no Teatro Nacional São Carlos – Lisboa, Portugal;
2018 – Residência Artística no Teatro Nacional São Carlos – Lisboa, Portugal;
Other experiences
2022 – Scenography and production of the performance Permultuo – Daniel Moraes and Angelo Custódio;
Atual – 2019 – Assistente de Artista, Eduarda Rosa, PT
2019 – 2021 – Topographer, Lisbon, Portugal;
2015 – 2017 – Coordenador de Projetos – CEU Heliópolis, São Paulo, Brasil;
2013 – 2015 – Professor de Geografia e de Laboratório de Tecnologias – PMSP, São Paulo, Brasil;
Collections
2020 – Museu de Arte Moderna do Rio de Janeiro, Obra para o acervo da Cinemateca.
Awards, scholardships and supports
2024 – Research Support “Salaris” with Natalia Loyola and Maura Grimaldi, DGartes, Portugal;
2023 – Research Support “Atirantar o Som” – DGartes, Portugal;
2022 – Research support “Presente do Indicativo” – DGartes, Portugal;
2022 – Project support “Expografia, pensar e construir os espaço expográfico” = DGartes, Portugal