Ana Santos


is an artist and researcher from Portugal. Currently living in Germany.
In her research practice, she focuses on the implications of prosthetic bodies in contemporary culture and society.
Her artistic practice is based on the exploration of the body as an interface, where the physical and digital realms are intertwined. Through her work, she seeks to explore the potential of the body as an interface for communication and interaction, as well as its potential for transformation.  

As an artist she has been interested in the aesthetic and performative experience of the intersections between body and technology, attending the anthropological turn of the post-digital society. Under this framework, she works in the areas of performance and audiovisual installation.



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Ein Stück Land

(1) In the Ein Stück Land installation, the kitchen stands out as a space for dialogue and debate, referencing the role of Brazilian kitchens, where gatherings around the table foster discussion and the sharing of various topics. In a non-linear conversational tone, the work reflects on German migration to Brazil, with the voices of five people who can be heard through the kitchen table. These voices offer complementary perspectives on the subject. The interviews intertwine the viewpoints of Telma Schrader (a writer with a family history of German migration), Carmen Miranda (a Brazilian historian residing in Berlin), Willian Radüz (a researcher in the field of linguistics between Portuguese and German), Paulo Soethe (an academic specializing in literary influences in German-Brazilian relations), and Glauco Vaz Feijó (an academic specializing in Brazilian migration to Germany). Together, these voices address issues such as the impact of the modernization project on the displacement and assimilation of inhabitants, the role of emigrants in political transformations, and the forms of resistance that have emerged over time.

(2) In the hall, a mound of soil is presented, with the voice of Gustavo Gusmão reciting a text written by me, inspired by the ideas of Bruno Latour, particularly from his book Down to Earth: Politics in the New Climatic Regime. The text reflects on the notion of a “common ground” and the existential and political crisis we face due to the loss of a shared space.

This reflection connects with Carmen Guerreiro’s statement in the audio heard in the kitchen: “We are all looking for a safe land. But where is this land?”. Considering the political, environmental, and migratory contours generated by these changes — not only of human beings, but also of other species — the installation proposes a critical reflection on the ongoing modernization project, whose consequences remain unpredictable.

Audio Interviews (1) : Click Here
Fabulative audio Ein Stück Land (2): Click Here
2024 Audiovisual Installation

Concept and text Ana Santos

Artistic Assistance, Textual interpretation and Voice Gustavo Gusmão

In context of the event “ 200 Jahre Deutsche Einwanderung in Brasilien”
organized and presented in Forum Brasil, Berlin




Bodies of Experience

The installation is based on the prolonged accompaniment of a run. We talk about "muscular awareness"; here is reflected in the everyday practice of a body in search of adaptation to its environment and thereby gaining a kind of physical adjustment. This element of adjustment so present in the daily practice of an amputee in its dynamics with the prosthesis is experienced in its plasticity through a sound and visual composition that is triggered through the movement of the bodies. The accumulation and continuous overlapping of information as a repetitive sound element are reinterpreted as a training simulation.

Previously the project was developed and presented in a residence context at Cultivamos Cultura.

> access to Exercício II full video upon request
2022 Audiovisual Installation

Sound Claúdio Oliveira

Performance Paula Cristina

Acknowledgments
National Association of Amputees (ANAMP)

Founded by Calouste Gulbenkian

List of works 
.Exercício I
.Exercício II

Interview CRIAções







Moscopólis:  ensaio de orientação civilizacional

In agreement with the very structure found within the laboratory, the artists noticed a whole architecture of spatial organization surrounding the fly colonies themselves - comparative to a production factory. They then realized that there were certain parallels to what we, as a society, generally recognized as aspects of civilization's organization [small spaces, in the form of pipettes, in which small "families" live, having as their primary condition reproduction instigated with the excess of resources through food, which, in its absence, turns into death. Moscópolis became an essay on the choice and reorientation of these flies.
We were interested in understanding what decisions the drosophila flies would make when faced with new environments, different partners, different foods, and the option to be alone or accompanied. From the local to the global, this project instigates us to think about the architectural orderings themselves, the geopolitical strategic reorientations, which are also thoughts of simulation to domestication, as a rationalization of food, in the right to territory or in the management of the ecology of space. The use of everyday materials proposes to think of its own excess, as well as and, in counterpoint, alters the logic of sophistication and scientific apparatus found in laboratories.


The project was developed within a scientific institution, which studied drosophila flies for a long period of time for specific reasons regarding the results they wanted.

︎there was no suffering implied

Various plastics, drosophila flies, iron, plastic tube, light



2022 Installation

Colaboration with Paulo Bernardino Bastos

Residency
Copraxis

Acknowledgments
Carlos Conde, Nelson Leça, Mariana Gonçalves, Sofia Silva, Augusta Monteiro, Margarida Gonçalves, Mariana Osswald

Hosted on i3s Porto and Ectopia Lisbon

Founded by Garantir Cultura Programme 

 




Construção Series


The Construction Series artworks depict the artist's upbringing with a father who was a construction worker. By utilizing discovered items, remnants of materials, and tools, the artist narrates her connection with her father and the construction field. These creations mirror the artist's endeavor to reconcile her personal passions with societal gender norms. Additionally, the artworks delve into the notion of identity formation, influenced by our surroundings and interpersonal relationships. Through the use of objects that hold sentimental value to the artist, the works establish a story that is both particular to the artist's experiences and universally relatable.

wood, light, iron, treadmill, textiles, sandpapers
2017 Installation

List of works

.3.14159265359

.Fuark!!Spasm!!Death!!

.I am Trojan

.Fúria






(estou-me) A lixar

"Polishing and vanishing leave only dust; memories fade to nothingness."

This video performance seamlessly incorporates the BodyConstruction Series by having the performer sand her own body in a ritualistic and repetitive manner, mirroring the act of sanding the furniture.   The repetitive gesture of sanding creates a pattern of abrasions and roughness that contrasts with the smooth, polished surface of the furniture. This contrast highlights the inherent tactile qualities of the body, emphasizing its organic nature and inviting the viewer to engage with it on a visceral level.  
The repetitive and ritualistic nature of the sanding creates a distinct sound that is both abrasive and rhythmic. As the performer sands their body, the sound of the sandpaper against their skin creates a scraping noise that is amplified by the performance space's acoustics.

This sound adds a layer of tension and discomfort to the artwork, emphasizing the physical toll of the sanding on the performer's body.


>acess to full video upon request
 
2017 Video
Performance







Sinalizações Series


This series delves into the meanings of common space signs and signage. The artwork creates illuminated signs with unconventional meanings or orders, while also exploring light and images in superposition through an installation.

 Signs are a means of conveying a message or an order, used to inform, warn, guide, direct, or control people. The signs act as a visual language, a code that helps to communicate messages in a concise and direct way.

Through this artwork, the artist creates a space for reflection on the power of signs and the role they play in our lives. By reimagining common signs with unconventional meanings, the artwork questions the ways in which we use visual language to communicate ideas and messages. The exploration of light and images in superposition further emphasizes this reflection, drawing attention to the ways in which meaning can be layered and complex.


acrylic, light, canvas, iron
2015 Installation

List of works

.CROSSdresser

.Pontos e referências de contenção e fuga










Pose e Devoção

This publication of graphic combinations between texts taken from the book "As novas cartas Portuguesas" by Maria Isabel Barreno, Maria Teresa Horta, and Maria Velho da Costa. Also, known as the three Maria`s, the collages and experiments sometimes from women`s magazines of the occasion and materials gave origin to graphic composition explorations of the book. The book written by these 3 women,  censored by the Portuguese dictatorship explores the role of women in Portuguese society, also touching on various intersecting aspects such as poverty, violence, gender equality, and sexual freedom.

wax, paper, photography, digitalization, hair, collage
2014 Publication

Artist book award with Posse & Devoção in 3rd Fall Salon of Latin America, Marta Traba Gallery. 
São Paulo, Brazil