Opening: March 10, 2023, 7pm

Hotel Dodo presents Luís Lázaro Matos' research on the nature of the Mauritius Islands. What began as a tourist trip evolved into a contemplation on natural resources, the extinction of local fauna, and their colonial roots and backgrounds. A sequence of large-scale immersive spaces is being created on the first floor of Villa Salve Hospes Kunstverein Braunschweig, for the Portuguese artist's first institutional exhibition in Germany.

Matos' interest lies in the juxtaposition of architecture and fiction. It focuses on how intimate and social processes shape the way space is constructed and experienced. The artist often incorporates storytelling as a means to construct not only pictorial and spatial arrangements, but also to address social norms, political agendas, and queerness. In Luís Lázaro Matos' spatial installations, humor and drama are always close together.

However, the artist's installations are not only light-hearted and humorous; he also manages to convey complex ideas that address current social and philosophical issues and shape contemporary ways of life. He always finds inspiration in history, literature, tourism, technology and communication.

The characters of his figurative installations and paintings vary between humans, extraterrestrial beings and, above all, animals. For Luís Lázaro Matos, the representation of animals has a very special quality: it allows him to develop narratives that focus on the psychological characteristics of the human being as opposed to its external appearance. In this way, Matos' works are fable-like installations that provide access for a wide range of people, regardless of their age or background.

Luís Lázaro Matos was born in Évora, Portugal, in 1987. He currently lives and works in Lisbon and in Brussels. He studied painting at the University of Lisbon and Art Practice at Goldsmiths College in London. His recent solo exhibitions include: Une vague joyeuse/Uma onda feliz, BoCA, Faro (2021); Waves and Whirlpools, Galeria Municipal do Porto (2020); Summer Waterfalls & Autumn Leaves, Beursschouwburg, Brussels (2019); Zoo, Casa da Cerca, Almada (2019); Notes on Cosmic Pluralism, 1646, The Hague (2019); Dancing Followers, Combo, Milan (2019); White Shark Cafe, Bastide Projects, Marseille (2018). Selected group exhibitions include: ARS22, Kiasma Finnish National Gallery, Helsinki (2022); A Terceira Margem, Coimbra Biennial Of Contemporary Art, Coimbra (2019); Haus Wittgenstein: art, architecture and philosophy, MAAT, Lisbon (2018).

Curator: Nuno de Brito Rocha
Curatorial assistance: Gesa Vorpahl

Handout

The exhibition is supported by:

The public progam is supported by:

Co-produced by:

With the support from: