Glossolalia (ph: @duasaguas—Eduardo Gonçalves Azevedo)
Glossolalia (ph: @duasaguas—Eduardo Gonçalves Azevedo)
Glossolalia (ph: @duasaguas—Eduardo Gonçalves Azevedo)
Glossolalia (ph: @duasaguas—Eduardo Gonçalves Azevedo)
Glossolalia (ph: @duasaguas—Eduardo Gonçalves Azevedo)
"Glossolalia" is an action commissioned for the 29th São Paulo Biennial, 2010, as part of the "Terreiros" programme. This was the second time Ianês was commissioned for a São Paulo Biennial. During the first part of the action, Ianês sat for twenty days, ten hours a day, at a custom-made table with six bespoke benches, welcoming participants. The action occurred in a different part of the building each day. Once someone sat, Ianês began a conversation about daily life and ultimately asked them to join the action by answering, in writing, two questions:
1. What’s your first memory of language?
2. What’s your first memory of lack/failure of language?
Ianês then waited in silence until the person finished writing, unless they had any questions, which were answered as neutrally as possible. Conversation among participants was encouraged so they could influence each other.
During this phase, 300 written testimonials were collected.
In the second phase, Ianês gathered 99 random visitors inside the Biennial building. Each was given three texts from the 300 collected initially, with the artist being the 100th participant. Ianês then instructed everyone to read their texts simultaneously, creating a powerful collective experience as all 300 testimonies were read out at once.
1. What’s your first memory of language?
2. What’s your first memory of lack/failure of language?
Ianês then waited in silence until the person finished writing, unless they had any questions, which were answered as neutrally as possible. Conversation among participants was encouraged so they could influence each other.
During this phase, 300 written testimonials were collected.
In the second phase, Ianês gathered 99 random visitors inside the Biennial building. Each was given three texts from the 300 collected initially, with the artist being the 100th participant. Ianês then instructed everyone to read their texts simultaneously, creating a powerful collective experience as all 300 testimonies were read out at once.
