CARVALHO, Isabel — Text for the handout of the exhibition Ar(a)C(hné)-EN-CIEL
Portuguese
other texts
My little animal,
Arachne was known to be a talented weaver.
She challenged Athena to a competition.
Arachne is mortal.
Athens is a goddess.
Athena, disguised as an old woman, warns Arachne against defying the gods.
Arachne maintains her challenge.
*
They compete.
Their fabrics are compared.
Athena’s composition is classic.
Arachne's is baroque.
Athena uses the theme of her victories and gives praise to the gods.
Arachne denounces the abuses of the seducing and deceiving gods.
Athena’s fabric is beautiful.
Arachne's fabric is vivid and even more beautiful.
*
The competition is aesthetic and ethic.
Arachne wins on aesthetic grounds.
Athena wins on ethical grounds. Hencee, by force.
Athena represents the defence of established power, which Arachne challenges.
Arachne represents resistance.
Athena puts a curse on Arachne.
Arachne is metamorphosed into a small hairy animal and is ordered to make, unmake and remake her fabric with the thread issued from her belly.
Athena makes Arachne an example to others: do not dare challenge the gods in their work and do not denounce their actions.
Arachne weaves with black thread, when she used to weave with bright colours.
*
Athena rips up Arachne’s fabric.
Athena will always rip Arachne's fabric to pieces, for all eternity.
Arachne will never again be able to produce a complete fabric.
However, Arachne will start over again. Without any regrets.
*
Textile and text.
Oral text, speech, use of the voice.
First: Arachne speaks.
Second: Athena silences and censors her.
Athena devalues Arachne's abilities and forces her into silence and invisibility.
Arachne isn’t incapable, she is simply incapacitated.
*
Girls have the greatest internalised fear of spiders.
But when they look beneath the suspended web, woven by a little furry animal, they see all colours, united in the black web.
- Black is, ultimately, the resistance of a continuous fabric of colours that our eyes normally don’t see and our ears don’t hear.
Arachne was known to be a talented weaver.
She challenged Athena to a competition.
Arachne is mortal.
Athens is a goddess.
Athena, disguised as an old woman, warns Arachne against defying the gods.
Arachne maintains her challenge.
*
They compete.
Their fabrics are compared.
Athena’s composition is classic.
Arachne's is baroque.
Athena uses the theme of her victories and gives praise to the gods.
Arachne denounces the abuses of the seducing and deceiving gods.
Athena’s fabric is beautiful.
Arachne's fabric is vivid and even more beautiful.
*
The competition is aesthetic and ethic.
Arachne wins on aesthetic grounds.
Athena wins on ethical grounds. Hencee, by force.
Athena represents the defence of established power, which Arachne challenges.
Arachne represents resistance.
Athena puts a curse on Arachne.
Arachne is metamorphosed into a small hairy animal and is ordered to make, unmake and remake her fabric with the thread issued from her belly.
Athena makes Arachne an example to others: do not dare challenge the gods in their work and do not denounce their actions.
Arachne weaves with black thread, when she used to weave with bright colours.
*
Athena rips up Arachne’s fabric.
Athena will always rip Arachne's fabric to pieces, for all eternity.
Arachne will never again be able to produce a complete fabric.
However, Arachne will start over again. Without any regrets.
*
Textile and text.
Oral text, speech, use of the voice.
First: Arachne speaks.
Second: Athena silences and censors her.
Athena devalues Arachne's abilities and forces her into silence and invisibility.
Arachne isn’t incapable, she is simply incapacitated.
*
Girls have the greatest internalised fear of spiders.
But when they look beneath the suspended web, woven by a little furry animal, they see all colours, united in the black web.
- Black is, ultimately, the resistance of a continuous fabric of colours that our eyes normally don’t see and our ears don’t hear.
2019