- Visual Art
not . here | Politics of Access
Joana Lucas
4 July 2026 15:00–20:00
5 July 2026 15:00–19:00
not . here | Politics of Access
(not.there)
not . here investigates the subtle politics of spatial and social exclusion. In photorealistic paintings, architectural and psychological thresholds are brought to the foreground — places where visibility, desire, and denial intersect. Viewers occupy a state of suspended proximity: always near, yet always excluded.
The works depict meticulously rendered windows, doors, and surfaces that suggest openness but remain impenetrable. Transparency becomes façade, accessibility becomes illusion. Following Dan Graham’s observation: “Glass is a cruel material, it lets you see through but not enter,” the paintings materialize the structural violence of exclusion.
Each window and door forms a threshold that provokes desire while regulating proximity. Exclusion is presented not as spectacle, but as a quiet, formalized force. The project situates this within socio-political contexts such as immigration, social stratification, and regulated mobility, where access and recognition are systemically determined.
not . here examines the spatial and symbolic architectures of access and invites reflection on the invisible material, psychological, and social forces that govern proximity and entry.
(not.there)
not . here investigates the subtle politics of spatial and social exclusion. In photorealistic paintings, architectural and psychological thresholds are brought to the foreground — places where visibility, desire, and denial intersect. Viewers occupy a state of suspended proximity: always near, yet always excluded.
The works depict meticulously rendered windows, doors, and surfaces that suggest openness but remain impenetrable. Transparency becomes façade, accessibility becomes illusion. Following Dan Graham’s observation: “Glass is a cruel material, it lets you see through but not enter,” the paintings materialize the structural violence of exclusion.
Each window and door forms a threshold that provokes desire while regulating proximity. Exclusion is presented not as spectacle, but as a quiet, formalized force. The project situates this within socio-political contexts such as immigration, social stratification, and regulated mobility, where access and recognition are systemically determined.
not . here examines the spatial and symbolic architectures of access and invites reflection on the invisible material, psychological, and social forces that govern proximity and entry.
Biography
Joana Lucas
Joana Lucas is a Portuguese artist whose photorealistic painting explores the tensions between perception, reality, and the mediality of images. Her work transforms fragmented urban moments into meticulously painted scenes that address proximity and distance, order and chaos. Woven with both classical and digital references, her paintings question experiential spaces and the structural mediation of reality. Since 2005, she has lived and worked in Berlin. Lucas’ work has been exhibited internationally and is included in collections across Europe, Asia, and North America.
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