Telenovela:
Hijacking and Autonomy in the Neo Baroque World

Artistic research project by Carla Garlaschi funded by the Artistic Research and Development Projects, Royal Institute of Art Stockholm.

Through the appropriation of Latin American labeled entertainment products, aimed to portray or address matters related to contemporary art.


Artist’s thoughts around the project:

“Through a persona, in the roles of writer actress or artist I work mostly by going into and out of a character - and in sustaining this duality. I think of it as a flirt with telenovela success stories, in this case of artist from Latin America coming to Northern Europe. The idea for me is to conciously slip into  exoticization using the romance content and telenovela. My persona can adapt depending on the context, which over the years has become a relationship that may be even related to trading.

Telling a story and creating a moving image refers to the same pendulum shaping my practice: Latin America - Northern Europe. I thought, ¿could the realisation of a narrative -itself dealing with the meeting of two parts: the lovers- allow me to build a correspondence between the two sides of this pendulum? Dichotomies such as: text/image, love/hate, art/life, private life/persona would alow me the construction of meaning by comparison (Neo Baroque Wold). In this way each of my public appearances, be it a performance, the release of a book or the exhibition of the project would work as a myse en abyme. That’s my gesture.”


The result of the project was a soap opera trailer, a dramatized artist statement, posters, banners. The project also extended to pop songwriting in collaboration with the reggaeton producer Talisto and the realization of the party installation Quinceañera curated by Olivia Berkowicz.

^{Ph: Gethin Wyn Jones..}

QUINCEAÑERA (2017)
Galleri Mejan
Research Week
Royal Institute of Art Stockholm
Co-cur. Olivia Berkowicz & Carla Garlaschi

Quinceañera: You’ll never bathe in the same river twice

^{- Extract, Research Week’s Program (2017)
Royal Institute of Art Stockholm}

Quinceañera is an art event in the form of a sweet sixteen party, shaped by the transgressive power of cuteness. Traditionally the Quinceañera is a Latin American adolescent rite of passage -perhaps even a right to passage- which suspends an established order, opening up for self-determination. During this liminal period, even social hierarchies seem blurry.

The party will be a space for togetherness, where prior to the event itself, the sceno- graphic installation will be created during an open workshop together with the artist Carla Garlaschi (aka Princess Prada) and the curator Olivia Berkowicz. Making use of basic handicraft materials, the party props will be directed towards the actualisation of an imaginary coming of age party.

Stockholm-based reggaeton artist Talisto and Princess Prada will open the party. Supported by the Royal Institute of Art in Stockholm.

^{Ph: Gethin Wyn Jones..}