Sunken Treasures of Ancient Egypt by Francisco Tropa

Des gestes de la pensée (‘Gesture, and thought’) – the new season of exhibitions at La Verrière, launched in
Spring 2013 by curator Guillaume Désanges – continues this September with a solo exhibition by Portuguese
artist Francisco Tropa.
Mixing art and technical ingenuity, Tropa’s creative vision embraces prototypes and machines, but also
paintings, screen prints, photography and performance.
Gesture and thought are mutually reinforced in Tropa’s work, with neither taking the lead. Rooted in matter,
his practice is as intuitive as it is erudite.
Born in 1968, Francisco Tropa lives and works in Lisbon. His work includes sculpture, photography, performance
and more. Tropa represented Portugal at the 2011 Venice Biennale. He exhibits with Galerie Jocelyn Wolff in
Paris, Gregor Podnar in Berlin, and Quadrado Azul in Porto.
TSAE – Trésors Submergés de l’Ancienne Égypte (‘STAE: Sunken Treasures of Ancient Egypt’ is a new project
specially conceived for La Verrière. The cosmogonic, rambling, disordered installation takes the form of an
archaeological exhibition, evoking differing representations of the world, from the Christian Middle Ages to
modernist utopias.

Francisco Tropa is a brilliant artistic polymath. Embracing sculpture, performance and photography, his work draws on a rich array of philosophical, literary, historical and popular references (artisan fishing techniques are just one example). Rituals (especially funerary rites), games of chance and Time are favourite themes at the core of his work, expressed in pieces often deliberately resembling ritualistic or shamanic objects. Yet Tropa is no mystic. At the interface of the everyday and the impalpable, his works are created using processes and techniques drawn from the world of artisanship. This mix of referential erudition and practical, handson engagement with the medium contributes to the broad scope and significance of his objects, extending far beyond their seductive, aesthetic appeal, or their putative function as shamanic or magic charms.

Until 19 October 2013
La Verrière, Brussels (Belgium)
50, boulevard de Waterloo
Monday to Saturday, 11am – 18pm. FREE ADMISSION.
www.fondationdentreprisehermes.org