Ana Jotta

Born in 1946 in Lisbon (Portugal), where she lives and works, Ana Jotta’s output is one of the most singular art practices of the European art scene in recent decades. Appropriating and giving new life to the objects, images, writings, and inventions of others, whether artists or amateurs, she questions the notions of discipline and originality. Her practice explores all artistic mediums: painting, sculpture, installation, audio, photography, as well as the so-called minor arts (sewing, embroidery, ceramics). Her work frees itself from any identifiable style, rejecting the very notion of signature, with a biting irony and an intelligent use of space and assemblage. For the Festival d'Automne à Paris, Ana Jotta revisits the flat put at her disposal at the Cité internationale des arts by installing and arranging existing works and the discoveries of her summer’s trawls through the streets of Paris. When the exhibition opens, the artist disappears and lets the magic of a "room in town" operate, allowing the public to immerse themself in its singular and subtle universe, in the ironic and melancholic atmosphere teeming with details and surprises. In parallel, the exhibition A comme encre—which could be translated as A is for Ink—presents her printed matter practice (artist's books, posters, invitation cards, "footnotes," etc.) at the Immanence art center. This exhibition offers keys to understanding her work, and gives an account of the creativity of an artist who is in many ways very close to French culture.