Aïda Gómez is using urban space as her stage and her laboratory with her recently directed public performance in Porto, Portugal. A matter of daily city life and self-governance, our reliance upon the presumably reliable mechanized interchanging of the illuminated figure symbol is unquestioned.
Here he/she is telling us to go and to stop; our obeyance is so ingrained in us as a patterned behavior that it doesn’t reach the upper region of consciousness most days.
Aïda Gómez. Mr. Red & Mr. Green. Portugal. (photo © Aïda Gómez)
A simple personification of the figures here on a crosswalk jolts people out of their pattern, and the minimalistic approach is without reproach. Here is this red mime in sneakers gesturing with a full range of body signals delivered in the spirit of mimicry, cautiously enacting hesitation, a suspense of action, pensive waiting.
Aïda Gómez. Mr. Red & Mr. Green. Portugal. (photo © Aïda Gómez)
The red figure is suddenly replaced by the green one; drolly sauntering, strolling, skipping, rolling across the walkway – a fully formed figurative performance of the various expectable and acceptable mechanics involved for propelling a human forward through space.
Aïda Gómez. Mr. Red & Mr. Green. Portugal. (photo © Aïda Gómez)
A curiosity? Yes. Mesmerizing? Maybe. An opportunity to draw attention to a few lines from the civic code of our programmed public behavior? Definitely.
See a video of the performance at the end of this post.
Aïda Gómez. Mr. Red & Mr. Green. Portugal. (photo © Aïda Gómez)
Aïda Gómez. Mr. Red & Mr. Green. Portugal. (photo © Aïda Gómez)
Aïda Gómez. Mr. Red & Mr. Green. Portugal. (photo © Aïda Gómez)
Other Articles You May Like from BSA:
Our weekly focus on the moving image and art in the streets. And other oddities. Now screening : 1. CURA 2020 - Daiara Tukano, Lídia Viber, Diego Mouro e Robinho Santana.2. CURA 2020 / Jaider...
In dense cities like Hong Kong and Tokyo and New York there is so much activity that takes place above you, yet we primarily grant relevancy to what happens at street level from our pedestrian perspec...
Welcome to BSA Images of the Week! Happy Lunar New Year 2023! Year of the Rabbit. 新年快乐! Collabos, crew tributes, nationalist heroes, laborious illustrators, truck pieces, raised reliefs, refi...
This week BSA is in Detroit with our hosts 1XRun for the Murals in the Market festival they are hosting with 50+ artists from various countries and disciplines and creative trajectories. In a city t...
What is the real meaning of Liberté Égalité Fraternité? Faith XLVII Liberté Égalité Fraternité That’s a good question in the face of a new proposed law censoring French citizens free speech. Ac...