Journey to The Last Frontier : Photography Book Launch and Exhibition

28/5 – 8/6/2014

Rui Cunha Foundation Gallery

Book Launch/Exhibition Opening/Conversation

 28/5/2014 18:30

Cocktail / Free admission

[Gallery not found]

This Photography Book is the result from an Artistic expedition to the Antarctic Continent in January 2012, undertaken by the Multimedia Artists Álvaro Barbosa and Victor Gama. The expedition lasted for 10 days in a former oceanographic boat from the 1970’s, going to different sites in the Antarctica Peninsula, namely the Nelson Straight, Brown Bluff, Cierva Cove, Danco Island, the Lemaire Straight, Port Lockroy, Hanna Point and the mysterious Deception Island.

During this expedition, Álvaro Barbosa worked together with Victor Gama collecting video and audio recordings that were used in the musical piece “VELA 691” by Gama, premiered in Chicago and performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 2012.  Same year, both Gama and Barbosa composed and performed “Journey to the Last Frontier” and brought its first appearance at the opening of the Black & White Festival in Porto-Portugal.  In2013, Barbosa collaborated with the Hong Kong New Music Ensemble and had its Asia premier at the Hong Kong Art Center. In addition to the video and Audio, Álvaro Barbosa collected a selection of Photographs that now result in this Book.

The Book consists of two sections:

DRIFTING ICE  – A series of photographs that portray the lifecycle of Icebergs, during a period that can last from three to six years. In their origin, they break apart from the Ice at the mainland Antarctica continent and eventually melt away in the salt water of the ocean. During their lifetime, Antarctican Icebergs drift around their continent, pushed by the tides, until they fade into the wild ocean or get caught in one of the many coves that trap the floating ice in Cemeteries of Icebergs.

ANTARCTICANS – The Antarctica Peninsula is a place full of animal life, with intense sounds and scents, which is the contrary of the acetic white desert that most of us imagine when thinking of this continent. Different species of Penguins (Gentoo, Chinstrap, Adelie) and seals (Weddell, Crabeater, Leopard) coexist with a growing number of human visitors and the resident researchers that live in their small huts. These photographs show a glimpse of animal life on this last frontier.

Álvaro Barbosa (Angola 1970) is a Multimedia Artist and Academic, based in Macau SAR, China. His work as a Sound Designer, Interactive Installation Artist, Digital Music Performer and Animation Film Director, has been extensively presented internationally, in venues such as Hong Kong Art Center, Porto Casa da Música, Ljublejana Ear Zoom Festival, Creative Macau and the Black & White Audiovisual Festival.

He is presently an Associate Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Creative Industries at the University of St Joseph (USJ).  Previously he was the Acting Director of the Sound and Image Department at School of Arts from the Portuguese Catholic University (UCP), where he introduced several new innovative curricula such as the PhD Program in Science and Technology of the Arts, the Master Program in Creative Industries Management and Post-Graduation Degrees in Photography and Digital Design.

During his time at UCP, he co-founded the Research Center for Science and Technology of the Arts (CITAR) in 2004, the Creative Business Incubator ARTSpin in 2009, and the Digital Creativity Center (CCD) in 2011.

Holding a PhD in Computer Science and Digital Communication from Pompeu Fabra University, Spain, his academic activity is focused on audio and music technology. He was a Resident Researcher at the Barcelona Music Technology Group (MTG), and a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Stanford University Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA), where he worked on experimental network music and developed interactive sound-design systems.

He was also a Principal Investigator in several European Research Projects, including a Marie Curie Initial Training Network and COST Actions in Sonic Interaction Design and Gestural Controlled Audio Systems.

TDM on Alvaro´s Barbosa Book Launch, Exhibition Opening and Conversation