Superhero (2007-2009)

Superhero is a project by Johnny Amore  developed after several self-portrait series. 

Like coming out of the photographs, the character took life and begin traveling around 

in the three dimensional world doing “good actions” and doing a research on human tendencies.

The origin of this transformation came out of a crisis, not only an  artistic one but also in the personal sphere. One of this burn-out moments in life, in which the person deserves a radical change; a distance to normality and a need to go towards new experiences. This transformation brought Johnny to action art: performance. 

It is indeed a remarkable fact that burn out situations are often generators of big changes in an artist career bringing new inspiration, inflection and, specially, the need to „shamanise“ the disturbance and bring out the psychologic turbulence; which will appear in the work of art as very authentic manifestation of identity. Johnny Amore really experimented this superhero phase as a kind of redemption and healing treatment for his personal burn out.

His superhero performances do not have a clear beginning and end, it is more like the implementation of an alter ego.  A durational piece of art extended to 24 hours per day, 365 days a year.

The Superhero lives and exists and writes periodically in his blog; and the blog became a testimony of his existence,  a virtual space that is keeping him alive continuously. Besides the breathing piece of art the superhero did concrete appearances in front of public, in real presence or in form of photo and video that would be shown in several exhibitions.

In the beginning it was all about to better himself and overcome the burn out. The way of doing that was accumulating positive energy and getting away of the normality. But the project is not only adopting a new character as a psychotherapy, the sense of the project lies on transmitting the experience to the public to create a dialogue and a reflection. 

Playing with the expectations of the spectator is the way to establish this communication. The superhero presumes of super powers and extraordinary qualities but it is not like this, he is just a normal guy with a strange costume. A ridiculous character in which the public will project super natural powers, but in this expectation they will also recognize the limits of the human, their own limitations. 

In a very positive sense to be aware of our limits can be a good exercise to reflect on identity; to visualize dreams and possibilities; to define new goals and help ourselves to generate changes and go deeper in our self-knowledge: a good way to avoid burn-outs!

SUPERHERO‘S EXISTENTIAL ITINERARY

Re-cognitional journey:  Munich (Ger) - Rauma/Pori(FIN) - Amman (JOR) - Brighton (GB) - Hoorn (NL) - Pori (FIN) - Berlin (GER) - Pori (FIN)

1. In a strong personal crisis I created a new personality : the Superhero. It was like an explosion inside of me, a transformation.

2. Here begins my journey to Finland.

Artist in Residence in RAUMA and PORI:  Accumulating positive energy and defining my superpowers.

I met the performance group MRCVE (Messianic Research Centre for Visual Ethics) that will accompany me in the future. The researchers gave me a new perspective and showed me how to deal with my energy. 

I did my first performance: Superhero saved the Northcup.

3. Back to MUNICH- Operation Neuschwanstein:

I came back to Munich with MRCVE, searching my origins and reconciliation my new personality.

We did five Video Performances and a final lecture about how the magic disappears in  the humans all days life.

4. Journey to Jordan.

Artist in Residence in AMMAN and workshops in the Jordan Children's Museum and in several handicapped children schools. In this phase I was very interested in getting in contact with young public, the natural believers of Superheros and a great field to investigate with innocence.

5.Journey to Netherlands.

Artist in Residence in HOORN: I met with others hero‘s, exchanging experiences and reflecting about ‚Personal Affects‘ in a group exhibition.

6.Again in PORI: Several street performances with MRCVE in which we investigated a next level of existence: eternity.