Bruno – 90×160 cm – Acrylic- 2017
EXT. MORNING – BEACH
FADE IN FROM WHITE
Jorge sits on the beach and meditates. The intention is to show, telepathically, a painting to Filippo Brunelleschi.
BRUNO
What have you done?
JORGE
You must forgive me.
BRUNO
I must do nothing. This is painful. What is going on?
JORGE
I might have painted a possible future or a parallel reality.
BRUNO
I see.
JORGE
Oh, do you understand?
BRUNO
Yes, I can see.
JORGE
Hhmm, yeah, what does that mean?
BRUNO
It is your painting.
JORGE
Yeah, of course, okay.
BRUNO
You are different from the others.
JORGE
I’ll take that as compliment. Now, you are relevant to my work it seems.
BRUNO
Is this why you flagellate me?
JORGE
Exaggeration, interesting. In terms of technique, you know, linear perspective. But that is a shallow connection I would say.
BRUNO
You have said it now.
JORGE
Uhumm.
BRUNO
Why is my history erased?
JORGE
It is a message for future generations. They speak about a group eating the seeds of the sacred tree of our land. It’s about co-creation in relation to your ancestors.
BRUNO
Sounds like voodoo stuff.
JORGE
That’s just rude.
BRUNO
The injury on my head is too.
JORGE
I felt it was necessary. In my times your institution can be highly corrupt.
BRUNO
I do not necessarily represent those organizations.
JORGE
I know.
BRUNO
What do you know?
JORGE
I know that you and your group had help from an enigmatic source. This influence taught you many things and gave you an advantage over everybody. This source of knowledge and understanding made it clear that your group would never mention this influence in any way, shape or form.
BRUNO
It’s almost as if you are accusing us of cheating.
JORGE
Not accusing, I am not judging. You are not the only ones to do this. That’s funny really. A lot of others do the same to hide from your helpers.
BRUNO
Is that funny to you?
JORGE
Yes, it is also tragic. There is a deep conflict buried in the stone of time.
BRUNO
That’s why the message right?
JORGE
Yes. We must re-contextualize our past to gain foothold in the future.
BRUNO
Here you go cryptic again.
JORGE
Every artist, especially academic ones like I seem to be, must deal with the weight of Art History on its shoulders. This is the curriculum we must position ourselves to. As a Mozambican that is Dutch too this can be at times problematic. My solution is to eat it all up and spit it out as mines. The weight on our shoulders are also the million tools we carry on our backs. Art is about making choices.
BRUNO
You chose to erase my name and put your things there.
JORGE
They are glyphs, some I invented myself.
BRUNO
What is this tradition? What are those symbols?
JORGE
They are glyphs not symbols or letters. This is an ancient system of communication that does not encode sound like an alphabet does. It encodes concepts.
BRUNO
Yes, I get it. All that will disappear you understand?
JORGE
You can’t do that. We are wired to use our brain like that. Whatever you do, especially in the 21st century, you will not stop this form of communication simply because our anatomy favors it.
BRUNO
There are levels of failure we are willing to accept.
JORGE
Buying time hey? That’s it. That’s why the message for the future generations must be spread.
BRUNO
The message being?
JORGE
That we are the ones responsible for action and co-creation in the now. Our ancestors did their part. We are the ancestors of the future generations that build their foundation. The past is whatever we make of it in hindsight though we cannot erase its echo. But the future is a co-creation of the now.
BRUNO
As God wills it.
JORGE
I believe this is a matter of vocabulary.
BRUNO
Excuse me?
JORGE
You are excused.
FADE OUT TO WHITE