Tongue Kisses, 2005

Tongue Kisses, 2005

Made in Brazil, curated by Edson Barrus and Yan Bauvais, FauxMouvement-Centred'ArtContemporain, Metz, France.

CariocaVideo, curated by Alberto Saraiva, Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal.

In Tongue Kisses each Portuguese word is color coded with its etymology (red for Pre-Columbian languages, orange for African languages, yellow for Arab, green for French, light blue for Italian, dark blue for German, purple for English and white for Portuguese). The first 3 minutes show the color-coded text. The last minute repeats the sequence of colors without the text. The soundtrack is composed of sounds from the streets of Rio.

Through language we can trace the history of mixing, which breaks down national boundaries. Language, one of the defining patrimonies of a nation, is a patch quilt of the past/present.

Translation of text:

The low-life pilot was flirting with the toothless waiter in the garden of the hotel in Copacabana. / The boss spied on the affair from the balcony -- what a view! / The war admiral was deceiving the guy from the suburbs in front of a window display of a boutique in the mall. / Duty-free area, before the costumes service: The boy whispered a samba in the ear of the reporter while stealing contraband from his jacket. / Office boy 'till happy hour -- at night: lingerie, lipstick, and liquor. / The tailor on matinees (pop corn and cuddling) / The crook in the toilet (slut!) / Hostage of the bottle, the tobacco and the bedside light. / Embroidered for the tenor, because of serenades. / Waltzing in the boudoir or in the nightclub in Ipanema. / The guy from the grocery use to give him lettuce, chayote, guavas, and bruises in the back. / Youngster from far away. Without a compass, without a permit, without foundations. / Hopefully a goal scorer, a soccer star. / Hopefully, a striptease star of shows in chic clubs of the bas-fond.