June 19 — 31 July, 2021
Galeria Quadrado Azul
Lisbon, Portugal

Solo exhibition
Curated by EMPTYCUBE_reader

An animal with a backpack unfolds as a fragmented environment composed of sound, printed matter, recorded voices and sculptural presence.

Borrowing its title from an image that is simultaneously absurd and vulnerable, the exhibition approaches the figure of the animal as a carrier of emotional, social and symbolic projections. The backpack becomes a minimal technology of survival: something used to transport memory, identity, intimacy or fear.

Developed in dialogue with performers, writers and collaborators, the project operates through dispersed forms of narration rather than fixed authorship. Voices circulate between fiction and testimony, humour and emotional exposure.

The exhibition includes a limited-edition LP, engravings and a booklet published by EMPTYCUBE_reader, extending the work beyond the gallery space and transforming it into a portable structure for listening and transmission.

Throughout the project, animals, humans and objects occupy unstable positions, continuously shifting between character, companion, witness and container.

Rather than representing a coherent story, An animal with a backpack constructs an atmosphere of emotional transportation — a temporary community of beings carrying things they cannot entirely name.

The installation includes a limited edition of 20 copies, comprising a vinyl record, engravings and a booklet.

Featuring contributions by Nada T. Roberts and Elato.

Published by EMPTYCUBE_reader, with the support of Galeria Quadrado Azul.

The vinyl has a total duration of 25 minutes.