THOMAS PILNIK

1 Julho 2021 – 31 Julho 2021

BIO:

THOMAS MARTINEZ PILNIK grew up in London to Brazilian parents. He obtained his BA in Studio Art and Cognitive Science from the University of Virginia in 2016, and a Master’s in Education from the University of Southern California in 2020. As a sculptor and installation artist, Pilnik uses his strong global ties intersected with the cultural confusion instigated by his time in the United States to force self-reflection upon his audience as a powerful tool for societal change. He concurrently draws from his experiences questioning and confronting white supremacy in the South, watching his home nations suffer under the strain of late-stage capitalism and democratic challenges, and facing his own existential fears triggered by an understanding of neuropsychological processes.
With few roots but the support of many communities, Pilnik’s work is able to express a wide cross-section of cultural influences and global phenomena, which allows evolutions in his work to occur at a rapid pace. In the spirit of ever-changing landscapes Pilnik is currently pursuing his MFA at the University of Connecticut.

PROJECT:

“Ai, Que Coisa Feia” explores the notion of sitting somewhere in the middle of tourist and local, giver and taker, ugly and beautiful, disgust and pleasure, hatred and lust and forces the present actors to occupy this grey-space to question their own reflexive decisions and disrupt their automatic assumptions of consumption, capitalism, and wastefulness.

PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS:

OPEN STUDIO, Thomas Pilnik, "Ai, Que Coisa Feia"”
28, 29, 30 July

ARTIST TALK
30 July, 18h