Volta às Origens by Roberto Otero Gomez
Estação Canelas Gallery, Aveiro, PortugalRoberto Otero Gomez, currently based in Valencia, Spain, is a Spanish artist that works with the concept of collective memory, addressing political and social issues connected to his past and present life experiences. Through his work, we engage in a dialogue with history, challenging perceptions and reevaluating the collective understanding of the past
"Volta às origens" focuses on the consequences of long-term involvement in repressive regimes and the enduring oppressive ideals shaping cultural identities. Shaping his project through the social and political contexts of his childhood in rural Galicia, Spain, during the 1980s, the artist draws on memories from that time, connecting personal experiences that transcend individual stories. The result is a body of work that transcends its inspirations, serving as a reflection on shared collective memories and the formation of a cultural identity rooted in oppressive ideals.
While the project primarily centres on the Spanish context, it shares common ground with other Southern European countries that experienced prolonged periods of dictatorship, such as Portugal, Italy, or Greece. In Portugal, where the project is exhibited, it leads us through a narrative of oppression under the dictatorship regime of António de Oliveira Salazar. It confronts us with ideals that still persist today, connecting directly with past wounds and present repercussions.
Spain and Portugal endured the longest dictatorships in 20th-century Europe, and the effects of that period still cast shadows on their societies. The prolonged experience of poverty, censorship, and the fear of secret police that only ended in the 1970s remains present, significantly influencing people's identities.
Otero Gomez's project presents a complex combination of elements organised in the gallery space, connecting us to our own "fears and ghosts." Using symbolic elements, he created an installation that combines video, sculpture, writing, and performance. Elements like bread and blood serve as symbols for religion, family, and work, deeply embedded in Catholic Church values and connected to the political power that shaped notions of "who to be" and "how to behave," for example.
The project, besides its broader context, is extremely personal and shows the artist's battle with himself, as he puts it: "The man facing himself. Or how I get inside my fears and ghosts.” (Otero Gomez, 2020) Fighting old conventions, building a new identity, rejecting oppression, and finding his own space for freedom.
As a curator, I invite you to explore Otero Gomez's art project, Volta às origens, exhibited at Estação Canelas Gallery in Aveiro, Portugal, from February 16th to April 16th, 2020.