SOCIAL BODY [Anatomy Lesson]

Joan Morey is the winning artist of the 3^rd edition of the Video Creation Prize awarded by the Network of Visual Art Centres of Catalonia, Arts Santa Mònica and LOOP Barcelona.

His project, SOCIAL BODY [Anatomy Lesson], conceived as a video performance, examines the social construction of the body in contemporary Western culture and its liberation in the sphere of artistic performance. From a review of the theoretical perspectives of the body’s sociology, the project reactivates the lessons in anatomy taught by Baroque painting and its performativity, juxtaposing two fundamental elements: the body (the performer) and the stage (on which the action takes place).

SOCIAL BODY [Anatomy Lesson] seeks to organise, analyse and arrange the code for executing a work of art by means of a genealogical study of the medium that defines it. In fact, the project’s subtitle could easily be “Anatomy Lesson [of the performance]” because one of the intentions of the artist is to study the grammar of the performance, in particular that which puts the body centre-stage, and its translation into the language of video creation for the screen.

The beginning of the exhibition coincides with the closing of the LOOP Barcelona festival, which will also be held at Arts Santa Mònica.

Joan Morey (Mallorca, 1972) lives and works in Barcelona. He holds a Graduate Degree and Advanced Diploma in Fine Arts from the University of Barcelona.

In 2015, he received the MAEC-AECID scholarship for the residency programme for Spanish and international artists and researchers at the Spanish Academy in Rome, through which he developed the project Il Linguaggio del Corpo (Rome, 2015-2016). His other projects include: THE CHARACTERS, Es Baluard Museum (Palma de Mallorca, 2015-2016); EL GIR/EL GIRO/THE TURN [Guió obert per a performance col·lectiu], Sis Galeria (Sabadell, Barcelona, 2014); CASCANDO. Variacions per a una altra peça dramàtica, MACBA (Barcelona, 2013); L’ENSINISTRAMENT. Variacions per a actor, iPad i furgó preparat, Fabra i Coats Arts Centre (Barcelona, 2012); BAREBACK. El Poder i la Mort, Capella de la Misericòrdia (Mallorca, 2010); GRITOS&SUSURROS. Converses amb els Radicals en La Capella (Barcelona, 2009); OBEY. Humillados&Ofendidos, CGAC (Santiago de Compostela, 2007/09) and POSTMORTEM. Projet in Sept Tableaux, former Arts Santa Mònica Centre, CASM (Barcelona, 2006/2007). He recently presented the performance TOUR DE FORCE (Barcelona, March 2017) as part of the exhibition “1,000 m² of desire. Architecture and Sexuality” at the Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (CCCB), co-produced by CCCB and the Han Nefkens Foundation.

Coproduction promoted by the Xarxa de Centres d'Arts Visuals de Catalunya, Arts Santa Mònica and LOOP Barcelona, with the specific collaboration of the Real Acadèmia de Medicina de Catalunya and the support of the center of produciont and research of visual arts HANGAR. Joan Morey © 2017 | documentation Photography: Noemi Jariod | Courrtesy of the artist.

3^rd Edition of the Video Creation Prize sponsored by LOOP Barcelona, the Network of Visual Art Centres of Catalonia and Arts Santa Mònica.

As part of the 2017 LOOP Festival

Production: Network of Contemporary Art Centres of the Government of Catalonia, Arts Santa Mònica - Ministry of Culture of the Government of Catalonia, LOOP Barcelona and Joan Morey.