In a statement sent to Lusa agency, the studio stresses that “the unprecedented global crisis” that threatens the economy and public health, “was immediately felt in the artistic community”.
Following institutional recommendations, Joana Vasconcelos’ Studio team initially switched to teleworking, but ended up deciding to move into lay-off of its workers to “meet monthly costs, and as a temporary resource to ensure all jobs, helping to maintain a team of more than 50 people to ensure their livelihood”.
“For the first time in 25 years, we know the sadness of closing the doors without knowing when we would open them again,” the statement from the atelier located at Doca de Alcântara, in Lisbon, also indicates.
Contacted by Lusa agency, the artist said she had several projects underway, namely six exhibitions in the United States, India and Denmark, and they were all postponed.
“This is a disgrace. The cultural sector lives from contact with the public and at this moment everything is canceled. The artistic environment is experiencing a very difficult situation”, she said.
Regarding public and private supports available for culture, the artist – whose work is presented mainly abroad – considers that “everyone is doing what they can, in a spirit of solidarity, which is the most important now”.
“The uncertainty about the future is enormous, but what should prevail in this crisis situation is tolerance and compassion”, appealed the 48-year-old artist, who represented Portugal at the Venice Biennale in 2013.
Joana Vasconcelos was the first female artist to be invited to create an exhibition for the Palace of Versailles, in Paris, in 2012.
In 2010, she presented the anthological exhibition “Sem Rede” at Centro Cultural de Belém, in Lisbon, and her work has been exhibited in museums all over the world.
The new coronavirus, responsible for the covid-19 pandemic, has already caused more than 103,000 deaths and infected more than 1.7 million people in 193 countries and territories.
After appearing in China in December, the outbreak spread worldwide, prompting the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare a pandemic situation.
In Portugal, today, according to Directorate-General of Health, there were 470 deaths, 35 more than on Friday (+ 8%), and 15,987 confirmed cases of infection, which represents an increase of 515 in compared to Friday (+ 3.3%).
Portugal, where the first confirmed cases were registered on March 2nd, has been in a state of emergency since March 19th and until the end of April 17th.
