Works > Cartas

"Transmissions (Cartas)"
Kevin Kaempf and Lora Lode
Video, forty ink-jet prints on fabric

Central to "Transmissions (Cartas)" is the decade-long correspondence between artists Hélio Oiticica and Lygia Clark as published in Cartas 1964 - 1974. In "Transmissions (Cartas)", volunteers are videotaped silently reading the original letters written in Portuguese. Then, in their own words, each reader discusses their impressions of the correspondence. The subjectivity of the readers aligns with both Clark’s and Oiticica’s later approaches that seek to engage the viewer as a participant in the work of art. Accompanying the video are forty prints on fabric that include salutations and valedictions from the original letters along with contextualizing elements -- historical events, location, and weather. It is these together with the reader’s ‘transmission’ that ultimately provides insight to the content of Cartas, revealing nuances of personal affect and reflecting on the ways in which world events and lived experiences inform a creative dialogue over time.

Special thanks to Nia Easley for graphic design and Todd Lillethun for filming and video editing.

Participating Readers: Carla da Silva, Alice da Cunha, Alex de Miranda, Ariani Friedl, Brad Hoganson, Ana Lima, Ben Lessing, Julia Lopes, Daniela Milan Souza, Ana Williams, Dennis Witiuk, Tracy Woodley.