In-visible

What is a shadow, if not a near invisible companion to the tangible? A metaphor for concealed forces depicted through the dance of shadows upon an urban wall.

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Videos and Photographs

Video 1

Video 2

In-visible

Embarking from her camera poised on a steadfast tripod, gazes at an empty urban wall in enchanting Porto, Portugal. Chabot captures the serendipitous ballet of everyday life, freezing the choreography of passing individuals and their shadowy projections in time.

From its very façade, a building speaks of its autonomous spirit while also embracing the urban context.This wall now transforms into a stage for the unseen and unexpected, creating an urban theater where shadows come to life. The shimmering lights of vehicles—cars, buses, and trams—paint fleeting portraits of nameless wanderers who appear and vanish from the canvas, leaving behind urban tales woven into the city. These fragments of existence transmute the mundane into an extraordinary and abstract narrative of layered projections.

But what is a shadow, if not a companion to the tangible? Shadows, kin to all, call for nothing more than a glimmer of light. This creation beckons us to the reality of our duality. First, the seen – our physical selves, entwined with our quotidian being, interwoven with characteristics, memories, and dreams. Second, the unseen – our hidden twin, a realm of potential and yearning. The shadows hint at this concealed alter ego, a treasury of essential emotions and the crossroads of choices – personal, worldly, and those yet unfathomed. They are the mirror to what is, what isn’t, and what is yet to be.

In the pursuit of this series, a technique unfolds by just standing still and observing  the dance with light and shadow, a quest to unearth its mysteries. The incorporation of the sounds of sea waves in the videos serves as a deliberate curatorial choice aimed at fostering a multisensory experience for the audience. By juxtaposing the serene and rhythmic cadence of the sea waves and movements of shadows in a urban traffic noisy place, a compelling interplay is aiming to see and stand still.

2021 Galeria Adorna in Porto, Portugal. In-visible exhibition canceled.

Title In-visible 1-12
Year 2015
Photos Hahnemühle 100% cotton fine art paper
Size (cm) 35 x 35 and 50 x 50
Edition 3 +1 AP

The behind-the-scenes of the In-visible series, Renée Chabot photographing. Photo credit: Antônio Augusto Teixeira, Porto.