This artist presents a number of large drawings, all characterised by absolute formal and chromatic simplicity. Each one of them evokes a thought, fact or action that places us in concrete locations, reminds us of particular moments, encourages us to do things and develop ideas inspired by a key reference: the image, thoughts and action of Friedrich Nietzsche.

By tracing schematic lines on white paper and adding to them brief indicative or explicative textual notes, Marta Wengorovius does more than simply use Nietzsche’s status as a major philosopher of the contemporary world; she also approaches the common man he was, by exploring his attitudes, habits and obsessions regarding the notions of health and sickness – a concern that, it is known, intensely influenced part of his life, afflicted at the end by an illness more psychic than physical in nature.

All of Marta Wengorovius’ work includes a totalising vision of art and life, in which the means for the interpretation of reality that are proper to art (but also to any kind of thought, especially philosophical thought) and reality itself tend to coexist. Her outlook as an artist contains a euphoric belief in collective action, one of its most common manifestations being the performative action to which she mobilises her public. We never simply visit her exhibitions; we take part in actions that fulfil her artistic intentions: collective meals, contemplative outings, discussions and talks that are announced, documented and continued in galleries and museums, by means of paintings, drawings, texts, maps, photos and videos.

João Pinharanda