In “O vazio da minha alma” (The emptiness of my soul), Mara Castilho exhibits painted and embroidered photographies. The emptiness and loss haunt her artworks. Between the black and with and gold, Castilho exhibits images that travel among the beauty and the ugly, the pain and the love, the empty and the ruin, the life and death.

MARA CASTILHO is an artist who works on the fields of video, installation, photography and performance. Castilho was nominated for BECK’S FUTURE’S ART (ENGLAND/GB), Stephen Arlen Memorial Award for Performance, National English Opera (England/GB) and the Internacional Prize of Performance, Galeria Cívica (Italy/IT). Her film “Process 5703/2000” was the winner of the Best Film & Best Soundtrack “Massimo Troisi European Award” (ITALY/IT).

From her individual exhibitions, the following stand out: “Turn Me On” (2012), Gad Galeria, Lisbon; “Untitled” (2010), Galeria Nuno Centeno, Porto; “Trapped Inside my Head”, Galeria 111, Lisbon; “The Art Dealer” (2009), Espaço Cabine, Lisbon; “Mara Castilho” (2009), The Mews, London; “Trapped Souls” (2008), Kalhamma & Pilppo Gallery, Helsinki; “Polyphonic Works” (2007), Sarajevo Winter Festival, Sarajevo; “X-YOU’. PROJECT I” (2006), Sisterna – Faculdade de Belas-Artes, Lisbon; “Ausencia II” (2004), MOCA / Museum of Modern Art, London; 

Among group exhibitions, Castilho has shown her work on: “Os Culturofagistas II” (2012), Fabrica Asa – Guimarães Capital Europeia da Cultura, Portugal; “Arquivos Secretos” (2012), Galeria Arquivos Fotográficos da Camara Municipal de Lisboa, Lisbon; “Os Culturofagistas” (2012), Plataforma Revolver, Lisbon; “Silêncio” (2011), Galeria Zipper, São Paulo; “Salão de desenho” (2010), Galeria Sopro, Lisbon; “Vestígios” (2009), Julio de Matos Art Space, Lisbon; “New Art Video from Europe” (2008), Blow 111, London; “Golden Rain” (2008), Michael Petry Project, Stavanger Europena City of Culture, Stavanger; “Who is on First?” (2007), Royal Academy of Arts/Hornsey Gallery, London.

She was also present on Film Festivals such as, “IMZ-Dance Screen” (2002), Monaco Inter. Dance Forum, Monaco e “Cinemed/Mediterraneen Montpellier Inter.Festival” (2002), Montpellier.

Among her famous performances, we have: “Love me, Love Me Not” (2008), Kalhama & Piippo Gallery, Helsinki; “City Lost 0.11” (2004), Laban Theatre, London; “(des)assossego” (2000), ZDB Art Space, Lisbon;

‘Trapped Inside My head’
“…Castilho’s art puts us on the path of complete destruction and suspends us in time – it offers pure pleasure without real death”  
Lapiz Art Magazine (Spain)

TOP 10 Latino Artists . Arts Art Basel Miami Beach. 2008
‘Anyone who thinks Latino art is dead hasnʼt attended Art Basel in Miami Beach. Despite a global recession, the yearʼs lineup included countless leading Latino artists including: Quisqueya Henriquez, Anthony Goicolea, José Dávila, Iñaki Bonillas, Miguel Rio Branco, Julio González, Enoc Perez, Gabriel De la Mora, Cildo Meireles, Juan Genovés, María Elvira Escallón, Waltercio Caldas, Pablo Vargas Lugo, Pello Irazu, Diango Hernández, Rubén Ortiz-Torres, Raúl de Nieves, Laura Lima, Guillermo Kuitca, Enrique Martinez Celaya, Mara Castilho, Eduardo Chillida, Dominique Gonzalez- Foerster, Arturo Herrera, Damián Ortega, Ignacio Uriarte, and Francisco Vidal.’                    
ART FORUM (UK)

‘Prague Triennale’
‘…Mara Castilho stands out with her videos set in installations — one of a woman seeming to go insane in a decrepit shower stall (Process 5703-2000), and Walking Through Rubble (Sarajevo) (2008), which projects images of destruction and includes a found sculpture of a female mannequin dressed up in burned photos of escalators and passages.’ Prague Post (Czech Republic)

‘Ausencia II’ (Absence) has the power, simplicity and beauty that bring artists such as Bill Viola to mind, drawing on themes of loneliness, femininity, suffering, loss and the complexity and duality of the human condition…” 
New York Arts magazine (USA)