Inês Amado
Laranjas (Oranges), 2008, by Inês Amado
The original concept for Oranges came from the historical connection between London and the importation of oranges from Portugal via the Azores. Ships from there would sail up the Thames, carrying oranges and “Verdelho”, a dessert wine from the islands. By the end of the 18th century, the island of São Miguel had developed a thriving export trade in oranges to England. However, the orange groves on São Miguel were hit by blight in 1860, thus finishing this trade. Within the sound piece the words oranges, verdelho, grain and flour appear and are fused together with sounds from the river Thames as well as from its margins, with people passing by. The sound is a collaboration with Dave Lawrence.
INÊS AMADO was born in Leiria (Portugal), in 1950. She works and lives in England. Her work spans several media, such as sculpture, video, site-specific installation and performance, with a particular interest in interdisciplinarity and collaboration through dialogue, interaction and exchange between artists, non-artists and community groups.
In 1995, Amado organised and curated the International Multi Media Symposium, an event that took place in the the Azores, involving 25 international artists, writers, musicians and poets and focusing on the concept of Place and People with an intercultural and interdisciplinary approach. In 1997, Inês Amado created Sands in Time, the first live-art video installation broadcast on the Internet. Images beamed to London from the Azores by satellite were fused with images of London and projected as part of an installation; a live video broadcast of the installation was live screened on the net. In 2000, Amado organised and curated BreadMatters I in Poland, and in 2003 BreadMatters II in Lisbon. They were followed by BreadMatters III, in Ireland, co-organised and co-curated with Ann Davoren, director of West Cork Arts Centre.
Amado has held one-person shows in Portugal, Norway, Italy, England, Poland, Belgium and the USA. Her work has received several awards and support from international institutions and is represented in various private and public collections.
Amado taught at Winchester School of Art (Southampton University) until 2004, and is now an invited Lecturer at various institutions in England, Norway, Portugal and Italy.