Cartography of the shadow: Pedro Vaz and Marcelo Moscheta
Luís Pinto Nunes
Compositions inscribed by the landscape, allegories to the Earth, and monuments to nature. An introductory note: the constant quest for human wholeness, the encounter of the world with itself, leads us to nature and the way we see ourselves reflected in the natural.
Through the relationship established in bringing together the works of Pedro Vaz (Portugal) and Marcelo Moscheta (Brazil), the Earth is evoked—an Earth that ceases to be natural in the sense that it bears the imprint of human interference. Through two investigations into landscape and nature—one by a Portuguese artist in Brazil and the other by a Brazilian artist in Portugal—a singular “landscape” is recognized, one that has been shaped and is now rediscovered by humanity. The wanderings of these authors exemplify this, highlighting the pursuit of reconciliation and recognition with the Earth and nature. The conscious relationship they establish with nature during their expeditions is not intended to corrupt it but to mark human interference, both in presence and action. These expeditions are understood as immersive aesthetic acts, laden with deliberations that justify them, defined by the choice of place and route, which translates into a definition of time and space, but also silence—a silence that marks the cultural and geopolitical nuances these spaces carry.
It is also known that the transmission of an image of a location or space that is new to us provides an allegorical experience. In the 18th century, the use of etchings that facilitated the dissemination of images introduced allegories created by engravers, in the Romantic style, of spaces never before visited. These served as portraits of the "cultural heritage" they observed and as a means of documentation. The experience of space and its formal representation were clear and evident to those who had never visited these places. These representations, stripped of scientific rigor, acquired allegorical characteristics, thereby enhancing the experience of presence, which was then regarded as exotic. These etchings, which became treatises on imagery, represent an initial effort toward the systematic documentation of landscape and natural heritage, later becoming objects of Land Art.
Imbued with an allegorical gesture akin to that of etchings, Pedro Vaz’s images recount his 2016 expedition along the Gold Trail (Caminho do Ouro), built in the late 17th century in Brazil. These are multiplied through his paintings, photography, and videos. He revisits a path steeped in historical and civilizational legacy, comparing it with the written and pictorial accounts from the time it was established. Vaz's interpretations of these historical routes thus become contemporary allegories, affirming the relevance of recognizing this natural landscape through the new images he proposes. From the records he creates in the field, he transitions to interpreting the image to explain and replicate the human gaze, becoming a mediator of nature.
This expedition by Pedro Vaz traverses various landscapes along the Gold Trail, defined along waterways that now seem timeless, immersed in nature that appears untouched, even though it has been domesticated by humanity over time. These representations of the landscape are underpinned by the study of its geography, history, and the social and political contexts that led to its definition.
In Cartography of the Shadow, the second phase of this expedition is presented, tracing a path that is now dismantled yet not devoid of meaning. The first iteration of this expedition was showcased in the 2017 exhibition Caminho do Ouro – Trilha do Facão at the Kubikgallery.
A fundamental aspect of the conceptual organization and interpretation of a place or territory lies in its composition, regardless of the medium chosen by the artist to depict the space. This process involves a conjunction of purposes, elements, and volumes, arranged according to an order and rhythm that attributes logic to the work. Any relationship established between the forms found in nature is subsequently adapted to the narrative and intent of the artist who reinterprets them. Here, gestures and attitudes are not merely incidental; their intentionality is revealed and highlighted.
Marcelo Moscheta creates compositions based on a careful selection of natural elements, transforming them into sanctified spaces through photography and drawing. In his works, nature, contrary to the usual, becomes the reference for scale. Through these contemplative elements, Moscheta rediscovers human-made structures that shape the landscape, registering them as documents of the relationship between humans and the territories they traverse. These structures, seemingly devoid of function, become small totems that punctuate the landscape, where the human body moves and projects itself, consolidating narratives of the past. At their core, these structures are composed of stones, material “planted” in the landscape, endowing it with new morphologies as if they were natural rock formations.
In Portugal, the artist collected and reconfigured stones from emblematic sites such as ancient Roman roads or historical borders. These stones, imbued with memory, become small monuments encapsulating the “DNA” of a landscape. Through the Ambulare project, Moscheta recontextualizes these stones, capturing them through drawings and photographs in regions such as Coimbra, Conímbriga, Foz Côa, and the Schist Villages. His approach emphasizes the spatialization of collected objects, creating a dialogue between the marked territory and the visual narrative.
These formal studies connect through the depicted scenes, fostering a speculative exploration of the territory. The initial image capture already reveals an overlap of contexts and planes, transforming it into a new composition, both within the physical landscape and the two-dimensional image plane. When displayed in galleries, these works delineate new horizons, where nature and human intervention coexist, preserving the legacy of the original function of these structures.
Cartography of the Shadow establishes a dialogue between Pedro Vaz and Marcelo Moscheta, exploring walking—whether planned or unplanned, wandering or not—as an artistic action traversing different territories. Both artists recognize human intervention in nature and investigate how time reshapes this relationship. As highlighted in an interview with the authors, Pedro Vaz sees the Gold Trail as an allegory for the represented landscape, while Moscheta identifies stones as essential mediators in defining the landscape. For both, documentation and experimentation allow them to transcend purely formal concerns, dissolving their practices into shared narratives and common perceptions. This rediscovery of nature reveals its dual condition: as material and as an artistic object. Vaz and Moscheta recognize that, more than creating, their practice consists of mediating and interpreting. Nature and art coexist in uncertainty, claiming their place not as opposites, but as complementary elements in an ongoing process of rediscovery.