Photo by Carolina Vieira, 2021. Courtesy of Porta33 and the artist.
Sara Bichão moves mainly around the subjects of memory, nature, and bodiness. Her working process binds with emotional channels: to heal, to purge, to perpetuate, to play. The works are sculptural with a chromatic atmosphere, which at times, are activated by the artist through performative actions. The materials used are often collected/offered/stolen or come from other recycled and organic resources. More recently, Bichão has also been exploring experimental writing.
Bichão was previously an artist-in-residence at Residency Unlimited in 2012, and has attended other residencies over the past years including: Finisterrae (2022, Ouessant, FR); Porta 33 (2020, Madeira, Portugal); Cité Internationale des Arts (2019, Paris, FR); Artistes en Résidence (2017, Clermont Ferrand, FR). She received scholarships from the French Institute (2019, 2022), the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (2014) and the Luso-American Foundation (2022).
A selection of her solo shows include: Before I Get Sick at MEEL, Press (2021, Lisbon); What is the thing, What is it at Galeria Filomena Soares (2020, Lisbon); Find me, I kill you at Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (2018, Lisbon); Coastal at Barbara Davis Gallery (2017, Houston); My Sun Cries at Portuguese Foundation of Communications (2016, Lisbon); Somebody’s Address at Rooster Gallery (2014, New York).
Some of her past group shows include: Twin Islands at Passerelle Centre d’art contemporain (2022, Brest); Traverser la nuit: Works From the Antoine de Galbert Collection at Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology (2022, Lisbon); Performance 0 at BoCA – Biennial of Contemporary Arts (2021, Lisbon & Almada); Clorophilia at Porta33 (2021, Funchal & Madeira); Storytelling at Musée d’art contemporain de Lyon (2019, Lyon); Un pyjama pour deux at Passages Centre for Contemporary Art in Troyes (2019, Tryoes); CHAMA at Atelier-Museu Júlio Pomar (2018, Lisbon); What I am at Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology (2017, Lisbon); }{ { } at Diagrama (2015, Mexico City); Eccentric Exercise II at Kulturni Centar Beograda (2015, Belgrade); Soundless Harmonies at Rita Urso Gallery (2014, Milan); Extending The Line at Arevalo Gallery (2012, Miami).
Bichão was awarded with the Drawing Prize FLAD (finalist, 2021), Anteciparte’09 (finalist, 2009), Fidelidade Mundial – Jovens Pintores (2009), BPI – FBAUL (2008).
Her work is part of art collections such as: Antoine de Galbert Collection, France; CACE (State’s Collection of Contemporary Art); FLAD (Luso American Foundation); PLMJ Foundation; EDP – MAAT Foundation; Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation; Carmona e Costa Foundation; MidFirst Bank, Arizona, USA.
Sara Bichão’s residency is made possible through AAI’s ongoing partnership with Residency Unlimited and with support from Luso-American Development Foundation (FLAD).