Sérgio Leitão is an artist working at the intersection between visual, sonic and performance arts. Operating through an overlaying of avant-garde references and contemporary hybrid formalizations, his projects explore links between different areas of knowledge, articulating images, sounds and objects in the construction of a singular poetic imaginary.

Through a combination of produced and collected elements, directed to a place of intersection between different narratives, his works seek to create spaces in which the boundaries between reality and fiction dissolve. The artist frequently establishes links between nature and technique, weight and lightness, poetics and politics, addressing issues connected with the dissolution of the natural and the artificial, the impact of human actions in its multiple dimensions, the multiples uses of language through written/spoken word and the wandering body, among other processual frameworks.

The crossing between different media, the dialogue with the presentation contexts, and the use of archives are some of his operating modes, frequently materialized into contextual mixed-media installations crossing painting, sculpture and video, as well as autonomous pieces in several media.

For his art residency at Konstepidemin the artist is developing the project THE METRONOME OR BACKWARDS TRANSLATION, a work-in-progress installation based on both Futurist and Situationist aesthetics, revealing, however, a broader labyrinth of connections.

Short bio

Sérgio Leitão holds a Degree and a PhD in Fine Arts (ESAP / UVIGO). He attended the Independent Visual Arts Program (MAUMAUS), the Gasthof Program (STÄDELSCHULE), as well as Sculpture / Photography (ARCO) and Video Art (GULBENKIAN FOUNDATION) programs.

His projects were presented at POUSH/MANIFESTO_PARIS+/ARTBASEL, Aubervilliers/Paris/Basel; THE GREEN PARROT, Barcelona; WCAC, Co. Cork; BRNO HOUSE OF ARTS, Brno; SÍM, Reykjavik; WEP FOUNDATION, Groningen; HIAP, Helsinki; RUPERT, Vilnius; HORDALAND KUNSTSENTER + BIOREGION INSTITUTE, Bergen; VIAFARINI, EDICOLA RADETZKY and ACCADEMIA DI BRERA, Milan; MACRO _ MUSEO D’ARTE CONTEMPORANEA DI ROMA, Rome; PALAZZO BEMBO, Venice, in the context of the Venice Biennial; VASARELY MUSEUM, Budapest; MUSEUM OF AVANT-GARDE / IRA / MARINKO SUDAK COLLECTION, Zagreb; NoD, Prague; ROSALUX, Berlin; HfG, Karlsruhe; CENTERCOURT, Munich; KUB, Leipzig; VASiSTAS, Dresden; MAGT, Athens; IZOLYATSIA, Kiev; PARALLEL VIENNA, LLLLLL and NOTGALERIE, Vienna; VILLA BELLEVILLE, Paris; ZSENNE, Brussels; MALTA CONTEMPORARY ART, La Valletta; ZDB/SOUTHERN EXPOSURE, Lisbon/San Francisco; DÍNAMO and MIRA, Porto.

The artist is preparing projects at DETROIT, Stockholm; BINZ39 FOUNDATION, Zürich; FRISE, Hamburg; P////AKT, Amsterdam; SÁLON, Madrid; LE CUBE, Rabat; and RU, New York. He received an FCT International Scholarship, a SHUTTLE Grant for GLI ORATORI_THE SPEAKERS, Venice, and an ACADÉMIE D’ARCHITECTURE_ CITÉ INTERNATIONALE DES ARTS Residency Fellowship, Paris.