Luís Lázaro Matos
Luís Lázaro Matos is a Portuguese artist who lives in Brussels. He creates fantastical environments whose playfulness conceals criticism of political and philosophical constructs behind contemporary narratives. Lázaro Matos is fascinated by the special abilities that animals develop to survive and adapt to their surroundings. In some works, he highlights particular animal behaviours to reflect on how we live as human beings, from the way we reproduce or exercise power to the way we occupy territory.
Especially for M HKA, the artist has created a site-specific installation consisting of a mural and a new series of drawings. Lázaro Matos was inspired by the absurd images of crocodiles lurking in urban gardens or conservatories after being forced away from their swamp or river by a natural disaster. The artist’s starting point for this work was his interest in the ambiguity of the Portuguese word for ‘climate’. ‘Clima’ is used to talk about political tension, meteorological phenomena and climate change, but, unlike in English, it can also express a form of sexual chemistry.
© image: M HKA
Exhibited work:
Crocodile Dandy, 2024
Courtesy Luis Lazaro Matos