DIAMBE DA SILVA

Early Years

Born in 1993 outside of Rio de Janeiro, Diambe attended the Media Studies programme at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro’s School of Communication.

Diambe da Silva Artwork

Exchange of Secrets (2020)

Resulting from Diambe’s 2019–20 residency at Cem Teto, the installation Exchange of Secrets was inspired by the 25 houses she lived in during her residency. Set up as a temporary space that evoked the artist’s mobility and journey, the installation included fabrics, cutouts, silkscreen prints, and keys.

Heavy words (2019)

For the performance Heavy words, Diambe built 21 stone letters which formed the Portuguese words for ‘Food’ and ‘Transport’ and enlisted 20 participants to carry the letters in a ritualistic procession. Photographs of the process also show performers lying on the ground, their bodies weighed down by the stone sculptures. The letters were eventually tossed in the swimming pool at the School of Visual Arts of Parque Lage.

Devolta (2020)

Described by the artist as ‘a choreography of enchantment’, the performance Devolta was enacted around a statue of Pedro I (the first ruler of the Empire of Brazil) in Rio de Janeiro’s Tiradentes Square. For the performance, a circle of cloth surrounding the statue was set on fire, resulting in a ring of flames that remained ablaze for half an hour as a protest of traditional ideals of ‘public art’ and vigil to colonial violence.

joāo VI

In 2021, Diambe took part in the 2^nd edition of Pivô Satellite, where she showed two performances: joāo VI and Einstein Remix (2021). The former work expanded on Devolta and similarly used fire as a medium; Diambe invited friends to wrap rope made from clothing around statues of public figures symbolic of Brazil’s colonization, and then set it ablaze.

For Einstein Remix, Diambe invited friends to read a poem by Ricardi Aleixo, from which the performance’s title derives. Each reader’s rendition was performed simultaneously, with the different linguistic and textual combinations combining into a collective cacophony. An impromptu chorus emerged from the group performance, invoking a similar kind of reverence as the circle of fire.

Exhibitions

Diambe da Silva’s select group exhibitions include: Fortes D’Aloia & Gabriel, São Paulo (2021, 2020); Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, New York (2021); and Rio Art Museum, Rio de Janeiro (2020–21).

Diambe lives and works in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Website

The artist’s website can be found here.

Elaine YJ Zheng | Ocula | 2022