Hugo Brazão: Cat did it!

About

Commonage is excited to present our second exhibition Cat did it!, a solo presentation by Hugo Brazão. The site-specific installation for Commonage is an investigation into themes of concealment, deception and guilt to explore the similarities between zoological and human behaviours. Brazão explores various forms of communication through signifiers and symbols, abstract and familiar.

The exhibition draws on research around Hanabiko or Koko, a female Gorilla who allegedly communicated through a form of sign language and could mimic her human counterpoints. Specifically referenced is one instance where Koko breaks a sink and is said to have blamed her cat.   By including sculptural and textile works that suggest vessels, fountains, and waterways of both bodies and landscapes, Brazão plays with narratives through anthropological inquiry, symbolism and humour.  The work becomes a metaphor for how we may attempt to absolve ourselves physically and metaphysically.