“Não Sofra Mais” (Do not suffer more) is the title of the exhibition created by the Icelandic artist Ragnar Kjartansson that can be seen, until the 16th of July, at the Monastery of “Santa Clara-a-Nova”. Ragnar, after having passed through several stages of contemporary art, exhibits for the first time in Portugal, after he accepted the invitation of “Anozero – Bienal de Arte Contemporânea de Coimbra”. An invitation that he accepted with enthusiasm, mainly because of the place where the exhibition is held, the Monastery.
The exhibition includes some of the artist’s best-known works, such as “The Visitors” a video installation considered, in 2019, the best artwork of the 21st century by the British newspaper The Guardian and also “Lots of Sorrow” , a performance recorded in 2013 with the band The National where the artist himself is one of the protagonists. The exhibition also exhibits five new works purposely produced by Ragnar for the emblematic Monastery.
The artist proposes “a very strong dialogue with space”. The work “Me and My Mother” (a family portrait that explores the passage of time), for example, is installed next to the foundling wheel, the “portal” where mothers left their children. The work “Não Sofra Mais” stands out, inspired by the slogan of the famous Dr. Bayard sweets that the artist discovered on a visit to Portugal.
And how likely would Ragnar be to produce a work inspired by the Hotel Oslo? “We Went to That Club” is our favorite work. During a few days spent in Coimbra, the Icelandic artist had the opportunity to visit the Hotel Oslo where he was inspired to create a final work completed the day before the opening of the exhibition, a few hours before. An honor, a privilege for Hotel Oslo Coimbra.
The exhibition coincides with the celebration of the 10th anniversary of the inscription of the University of Coimbra, Alta and Sofia on the World Heritage List recognized by UNESCO. It was precisely this classification that gave rise to the Biennial, which was created with the aim of promoting a dialogue between contemporary art and heritage.
The exhibition “Não Sofra Mais” can be seen, free of charge, from Wednesday to Sunday, from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm.
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