João Maria Gusmão. Following the White Tiger

A solo exhibition by Portuguese artist João Maria Gusmão: twelve looped 16 mm film projections, many of them made during residencies at Zachęta. Gusmão works with analog film and is interested in the image itself - how it is made and what it carries. The title comes from a piece about a kung-fu school in France and from the ‘paper tiger’ metaphor.

Zachęta on the exhibition:

An image is not merely a record of reality - it is also a material trace of light, a carrier of memory, and a space for imagination. In his films, João Maria Gusmão uses analog media to explore the relationships between the materiality of the image and history, ideology, and the ways we perceive reality. Following the White Tiger is a solo exhibition by Portuguese artist João Maria Gusmão, presenting looped projections of 16 mm films. This marks the latest stage in the artist’s experiments with analog film and various, unconventional ways of thinking about the image. In his works, Gusmão examines the connections between history, ideology, and aesthetics, as well as their material dimension. In an era dominated by digital images, Gusmão highlights the unique character of analog film - its physicality, the technical process of its creation, and the trace that light leaves on the film strip. Of particular significance here is the tension between the material construction of the image - the photosensitive film, projection, and recording process - and its symbolic dimension, where images become carriers of cultural and ideological content. The artist’s works show that an image is simultaneously a physical object and a carrier of memory and imagination.

The exhibition title refers to João Maria Gusmão’s latest work, The School of the White Tiger (2024) - a sequence of vertical still shots depicting a kung-fu school in France. In it, the artist shows the painting over of graffiti on the building’s facade as a form of abstract painting inspired by movement, gesture, and imagery associated with the animal world. Gusmão connects this seemingly accidental discovery with the metaphor of the ‘paper tiger’ - a term popularized by Chinese leader Mao Zedong in reference to American imperialism and the nuclear threat during the Cold War. This motif becomes a starting point for reflection on the tension between the appearance of strength and actual fragility, between what is visible and what is hidden.

In his work, Gusmão treats film as an apparatus that creates the illusion of movement through a succession of still images. Simultaneously, he examines the relationship between what is real and reality, showing how cinematic images function at the intersection of the human, technological, animal, and non-human. The exhibition comprises twelve film works, many of which were created during residencies at Zachęta. Described by Gusmão as ‘film sculptures,’ they build a space based on repetition, associations, and contemplation, where movement, gesture, and the materiality of film become ways of experiencing the image. Starting from everyday observations, Gusmão reflects on the violence present in Western perceptions - both symbolic and material. Drawing on motifs related to kung-fu, Zen culture, the reception of Mao Zedong’s thought by French intellectuals, and examining the ways in which the West constructs perceptions of the East, the artist proposes a poetic ’third way’ that evades simple divisions. Technique - understood as both practice and a tool for creating images - becomes in his work a way of understanding the world and revealing the relationships between what is material and what extends beyond direct experience.

After its presentation at Zachęta, the Following the White Tiger project will continue in Portugal. Its subsequent stages will include a special presentation at Sismógrafo in Porto and the creation of a new work in collaboration with students from the School of Arts at Universidade Católica Portuguesa. In March 2027, the project will culminate in an expanded exhibition at the Museu de Arte, Arquitetura e Tecnologia (MAAT) in Lisbon and a publication featuring texts by the artist and curator, dedicated to the relationship between image, thought, and artistic practice.

The exhibition contains strobe lighting effects. Individuals with epilepsy or light sensitivity are advised to exercise particular caution.

João Maria Gusmão (born 1979) is an artist living and working in Lisbon. For over two decades, he has developed a multifaceted practice encompassing analog film, photography, sculpture, drawing, film installations, as well as literature, curatorial work, and publishing.

A central element of his work is an interest in old image-making technologies and their re-use as a way of exploring alternative perceptions of time, space, and reality. Gusmão refers to this strategy as ‘critical archaeology’ - a return to historical imaging methods to examine how images are created, function, and shape our understanding of the world.

His films, photographs, and objects combine references to literature, science, and philosophy, creating poetic and speculative visions of reality. From 2001 to 2018, the artist co-created a respected artistic duo with Pedro Paiva, presenting works at major international exhibitions. The artists represented Portugal at the 53rd Venice Biennale and participated in the 55th edition of the event in 2013.

João Maria Gusmão’s works are held in the collections of institutions such as the Museum of Art in Łódź, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, MACBA, Centre Georges Pompidou, Tate Modern, SFMOMA, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Nouveau Musée National de Monaco, and Museu de Serralves.

What to expect

The exhibition is made up of twelve film works - looped 16 mm projections, many created during residencies at Zachęta. Gusmão calls them ‘film sculptures’: the space is built on repetition, association, and contemplation, so it is worth allowing time to move slowly between the projections. One practical note: the exhibition includes strobe lighting effects, which the gallery flags for visitors with epilepsy or light sensitivity.

The title comes from the artist’s most recent work, The School of the White Tiger (2024) - a sequence of vertical still shots of a kung-fu school in France. Gusmão shows graffiti being painted over on the building’s facade as a kind of abstract painting, and links it to the ‘paper tiger’ metaphor popularized by Mao Zedong in reference to American imperialism and the nuclear threat during the Cold War.

The show also circles around kung-fu, Zen culture, the reception of Mao Zedong’s thought among French intellectuals, and how the West pictures the East - Gusmão offers a poetic ’third way’ that sidesteps easy divisions. The artist (born 1979, based in Lisbon) has worked with analog film, photography, sculpture, and installation for over two decades, and calls his return to old image-making technologies ‘critical archaeology’. After Zachęta the project travels on to Sismógrafo in Porto, and in March 2027 to MAAT in Lisbon.

Tickets, opening hours, and current details are on Zachęta’s website.

Museum profile: Zachęta.