No Look Pass

No Look Pass is a collaborative artistic duo that explores the intersection of art and sports. Focusing on organized sports and the role they play in modern society as both an economic success and a cultural force, Abigail Smithson and Glauco Adorno seek to understand games not only as neutral entertainment, but also as an institutionalized performance and social ritual, that is fully inserted in the context of modern society. They seek to rethink the court and field as a space to question traditional ideas of patriotism and representation, shed light on embedded power dynamics within the games and discuss sovereignty of the body.

Although the practice is grounded in the tradition of photography, the work attempts to explore alternative ways of making records. Varying photographic processes, written language and craft based techniques such as sewing and embroidery stand in as an alternative to using the camera in it’s traditional role as a way to make evidence of an event. No Look Pass explores the idea that subjective records are valid ways to understand the world, both from a current and historical viewpoint.

By understanding ways in which artists can serve as collectors, No Look Pass redefines the role of the spectator, where a visual artist and a curator become active participants in the dialogue surrounding sports.