PORTRAIT EXCHANGE
(2013-DATE)
The Portrait exchange is an ongoing participatory live art action and social intervention that aims to explore and share both global and personal diversities of thought, perceptions and social interaction through face-to-face creative exchanges.
Initiating portrait exchanges with strangers I meet, whenever I get the time or the occasion allows for the exchange. There have been around 350 exchanges with participants in locations around the world, including the Lisbon chapter, of whic there were 80. city streets, beaches, carparks, work environments, I ask participants to sit still and silent for a timed ten minutes, considering a response to this question:
‘If everyone in the world were willing to listen to you for one moment, what would you say?’
While considering their response I sketch their portrait, beneath which they write their answer/message. Using carbon paper I create two images at once, gifting the participant the original and keeping the print – a record of the exchange.