Issue No. 28 – Control

What is the nature of control? The desire for it—and to be free of it—are essential parts of both life and art.

Noé Sandes: P.O.V. Obstructed

Noé Sendas was born in Brussels in 1972, and began presenting his work in the late 1990's. He studied in Lisbon, London, and Chicago, and also had residencies such as Kunstlerhaus Bethanien in Berlin. Sendas is a multi-lingual, mixed-media artist who resorts to different means of expression: video, sculpture, collage, drawing and photography. Explicit and implicit references to other artists are part of his raw materials. Specific concerns about the reflection and practice of visual arts can also be added to his repertoire. Quotes from Shakespeare and Beckett are present in his work, as well as references to important movie directors such as Godard.

 

Did you grow up in Brussels?

 

I was born in Brussels in 1972, then I moved to Lisbon and went to high school in London. I had an inner city European education. At the age of 13, I had already switched my main language three times. Either I was lazy, or I just realized how verbal language is limited- how some words - and therefore some states of mind do not exist in different languages. If I wanted to make a point or make other people feel my presence, I just had to invent my own language. I started to use drawing as my language of thought.

 

How has your international education affected your work?

 

The educational programs in Europe were all very similar. I was lucky to have a little financial aid, which allowed me then to have the free time, to travel, read, and go to cinema houses and Museums. I was very lucky; I met some great professors and just wandered around Europe from one artist residency to the other.

Read More In Musée No. 5 Vol. 2

Interview by Austin Klein

Photos Courtesy of Noé Sendas and the Michael Hoppen Gallery, New York.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Museum Mile Festival

MUSEE 10.6 Spring 2013: The End of Spring Set