Since his first solo exhibitions in the early 1990s, João Louro has produced a large body of work including photos, video, paintings and installations. His works include frequent references to the history of philosophy, literature and modern art (from the historical avant garde to minimalism and conceptual art) but also nods to Western popular culture, mainly in the form of film and music. A system of associations and correspondences is built up via a rich web of references that includes such names as Gustave Flaubert, Samuel Beckett, Walter Benjamin and Herman Melville, to mention but a few of the characters that appear in his works.
João Louro seeks to explore the limits of expression and reflect on the construction of images in the contemporary world. His images are filled with signs that sometimes appear as blank surfaces, as mirrors that reflect the gaze of viewers and force them to decode the contents for themselves
He was chosen to represent Portugal at the Venice Biennale in 2015, when María de Corral acted as curator. His works have been shown at numerous international events in Porto, Paris, Río de Janeiro, Santa Monica and elsewhere, and in solo exhibitions at institutions including the Elvas Museum of Contemporary Art (Portugal, 2015), the Museum of Contemporary Art of Rome (2010) and the Joan Miró Foundation (Barcelona, 2001).
Since his first solo exhibitions in the early 1990s, João Louro has produced a large body of work including photos, video, paintings and installations. His works include frequent references to the history of philosophy, literature and modern art (from the historical avant garde to minimalism and conceptual art) but also nods to Western popular culture, mainly in the form of film and music. A system of associations and correspondences is built up via a rich web of references that includes such names as Gustave Flaubert, Samuel Beckett, Walter Benjamin and Herman Melville, to mention but a few of the characters that appear in his works.
João Louro seeks to explore the limits of expression and reflect on the construction of images in the contemporary world. His images are filled with signs that sometimes appear as blank surfaces, as mirrors that reflect the gaze of viewers and force them to decode the contents for themselves
He was chosen to represent Portugal at the Venice Biennale in 2015, when María de Corral acted as curator. His works have been shown at numerous international events in Porto, Paris, Río de Janeiro, Santa Monica and elsewhere, and in solo exhibitions at institutions including the Elvas Museum of Contemporary Art (Portugal, 2015), the Museum of Contemporary Art of Rome (2010) and the Joan Miró Foundation (Barcelona, 2001).