C21c book preview

índi ce _ i nd ex about Site Specific / Land Art -------------------------------------------------------WOA | Artists in Residence -------------------------------------------------------Parceria -------------------------------------------------------selection of artists _ selecção de artista -------------------------------------------------------denis piel duma siran filipa silveira maria mendonça coustols marina carvalho marta alvim michel batlle rui pinto gonçalves sara yan tim madeira vasco luz -------------------------------------------------------Jiu Xian -------------------------------------------------------DaST -------------------------------------------------------special thanks _ agradecimentos

5

06 ----12 ----16 ----18 ----20 26 30 36 42 50 56 66 72 82 90 ----96 ----112 ----142

The concept of site specific is about the reflection of the work of art as part of a certain place, rather fisical, cultural, social or other, where the connection between the artistic concept should communicate with the surrounding and those who live among it.

In LandArt we seek to feel and work in harmony with the earths cycles, as for its nature, population, animals, matter, and all unlimited possibilities that result as a fusion and complementary of these elements in the search of creative processes that offer us the possibility to feel and contemplate the universe that surrounds us in its different rhythms.

We work on the infinite universe of construction and detail which, although can be ephemeris and condemned to the rhythm of a cycle, will always mark our memory or the work of art, which can only be revealed at a certain hour and a certain day.

LandArt appeared during the 60’s of the 20th century going against the minimalism and all sophisticated technologies of the cultural industries, and forward the increasing awareness regarding environment issues. We can consider that Man, since always, felt enchanted by the innumerous choices of creation that Nature has provided.

Through the innumerous works conceived in the distant past, as for Stonehenge from England in 3100 b.c., or in the landscape architecture of the 18th century, we can say that we have already dived in the LandArt reality where we could witness Mans desire to exceed himself in the search of a greater intimacy with Mother Nature, in search of the perfect symbiosis.

Gonçalo Leandro

La nd A r t

.........................................................................

site specifi

About site specific / Land Art

...............................................................................................................................................................................................

Gonçalo Lenadro

7

O conceito Site Specific, não é senão o pensar a obra de arte de forma a que esta se enquadre num determinado lugar, físico, cultural, social ou outro, onde deverá haver uma ligação estreita na forma como o conceito artístico comunica com as pessoas e com todo o meio envolvente.

Na Land Art procura-se sentir e trabalhar em sintonia com os ciclos da terra, a natureza, as pessoas, os animais, a matéria, num sem fim de possibilidades de fusão e de complementarização destes e outros elementos, na procura de processos criativos que nos permitam contemplar, sentir a diferentes ritmos o universo que nos rodeia. Trabalha-se no infindável universo do pormenor, da construção que poderá ser efémera e condenada ao ciclo de uma maré, mas que para sempre nos deixará um registo na memória, ou na obra que só se deixa conhecer a uma certa hora num certo dia do ano ou em outra que só nos canta quando os ventos vêem de determinado quadrante.

A Land Art surgiu como movimento artístico durante os finais dos anos 60 do séc XX opondo-se de certa forma ao movimento minimalista ou à muito sofisticada tecnologia da cultura industrial, mas muito especialmente devido à crescente preocupação em relação às questões ambientais.

Podemos considerar que o Homem, desde sempre se deixou encantar com as inúmeras possibilidades que a Natureza lhe proporciou para criar. Através de trabalhos concebidos num passado distante, como a mítica Stonehenge criada em 3100 a.c. na planície de Salisburyem, em Inglaterra ou posteriormente a arquitectura paisagística oitocentista, podemos dizer que já nos sentimos mergulhados no universo da Land Art, que já aí sentimos a vontade do Homem em se exceder na procura de uma maior intimidade na sua relação com a Mãe Natureza, na procura da simbiose perfeita.

In April 2009 Gonçalo Leandro suggested to host a residence for European artists in Jiu Xian the following November.

Fernando Pessoa’s words flashed in my mind.

“Qualidade distintamente humanas As de imaginação em vez de saber De jogo em vez de trabalho da totalidade em vez da separação” From that day on, our DaST team, in charge of the Jiu Xian Garden Village project found the necessary energy to accomplish the task, even if that meant revising all its previous plans. It, suddenly, seemed urgent to mingle Jiu Xian’s inhabitants with people from other countries, speaking different languages, living in an entirely different stage of development and with artists who would enable them to capture the beauty of their surroundings.

But above all I felt that launching these artists in the midst of a civilization so different from their own could but be a thrilling experience to them.

The whole DaST (Design a Sustainable Tomorrow) team set to work intensively. We succeeded in increasing the construction capacity at the different work sites by giving the carpenters, masons, electricians and bamboo experts, greater responsibility and by increasing the number of workers at each site.

We also had to adapt the program altering temporarily what the health centre was intended for, enabling it to shelter the artists in case of bad weather, modify the structure of the exhibition rooms and alter the design of the tea-house, Without compromising in quality the access paths to the site. We reviewed and improved the design allowing it to be used two ways, one lane for visitors and one for buffalos.

The DaST workshops became more and more frequent , all the drawings were updated in real time, the logos and the costumes were designed, executive summaries and three books describing the stages of the project were also written. Above all, Goncalo proposal made us think more deeply, about some of the processes. Introducing more flexibility, Professor Bao, Professor Feng Shu, Professor Jia Yun, Gerhy, Gao Wei, Lee Ziruo, Li Bo, Li Ming Zheng, Ma Tian Tian, Maoeraichiyu, Su Yi, Captain Wu, Vena, Joyce, Ye Ziteng i. e. Gaston, Xiao Xiao, Sissi, Swordman, Hugo, Yiping, Sandiamano, Fat, Feng Da Da as well and many others were at their best.

In the end, a house from the Ming village, had to be restored to receive the visitors and to work as the exhibition room where the project was to be presented. In order to do so, old restoration materials had to be found, the roof and framework rebuilt, the walls cleaned and plastered with lime mortar tinted with natural pigments, electricity and the lighting system installed, the rainwater sewers cleaned and restored surveyed and Mr Li’s permission granted to connect the installations to his water and electrical metre.

We were fortunate to have an English born architect, Ian, joining our reduced team due to the departure of Mr Lu and his foreman in July. It was a great pleasure to witness the community becoming fully involved even if it turned out to be difficult some days to manage the different teams working on the site as every villager wanted to help, but it was really impossible to have more than 45 workers at the same time.

9

Ian’s great qualities - good listener, his amiable spirit and highly efficient common sense worked wonders. He managed to organize the teams to work in turns improving the quality of life and involvement in the project of a great many families in the village. In the beginning of September there was a major meeting in Canton with the “Dasters” at the SCUT (South China University of Technology) to present a progress report and discuss the best way to organize the Residence.

The following aspects were critical to the adaptation/integration/happiness of the artists and as a result the success of the residence.

The language issue, the relation with the villagers, the importance of including school children in the project, make the artists discover the beauty of this region of China were essential.

In order to do so it was decided that the artists should be able, at any time, to explore the surroundings i.e., finding drivers and translators knowing China, its customs and its history, provide the artists full access to the materials and skills they might need. This was a real sensitive issue since it could range from the request for a Grand Steinway, a steel foundry, a pottery with a 40m long furnace, a stonework factory, a carpenter’s shop, a scaffolding company, and obviously canvasses, paper and pencils...

The meals and the festivities had to be organized: fireworks, a play, a fashion show, a concert and the exhibitions. We had to inform the public authorities, invite the villagers and the officials, our friends and all those who supported the project and also make the most of the rain and the cold weather.

I must say that Yivi, Lizzie, Sissi and Wang Xi were fabulous, awfully efficient and always gentle.

If it hadn’t been for them and for Nicolas always present everywhere and ready to help, the residence wouldn’t have been such a success. A few days before the opening we were told that two of our friends, the piano Maestro Elisha Abas and the poet Howard Altmann were unable to join the group. The piano had to be cancelled!!!! and Professor Feng Shu suggested to replace the piano concert by a Guqin concert. Duma Siran joined us a few days later and our days were filled with her music. Gonçalo‘s challenge was really hard to match but transformed our year in Jiu Xian in a fabulous one.

Frederic Coustols 2010-01-10

11

Thank you Gonçalo.

W a y o f A r ts

A WOA, desde sempre procurou extender os seus projectos para outros cenários, geográfica e culturalmente para outros mundos que não somente o português do qual com orgulho, também fazemos parte. Encontrar sítios especiais, com características que consideramos de excelência para o desenvolvimento de residências para artistas é desde há algum tempo, uma das prioridades da WOA e nesse sentido surgiu a parceira com a DaST (Design a Sustainable Tomorrow).

Os workshops/artists in residence desenvolvidos em parceria desde então, têem contado com a participação de inúmeros artistas de várias nacionalidades, como o colectivo No Name Group, hoje considerado pioneiro do movimento contemporâneo Chinês, e de designers, professores, arquitectos, engenheiros e outros criativos vindos de várias instituições, como o (IST) Instituto Superior Técnico Português ou a SCUT (South China University of Technology).

O projecto de JiuXian na China em 2009, pôs-nos em contacto com uma nova realidade, num trabalho conjunto com estudantes chineses e população local, os participantes puderam extrapolar os seus limites criativos, puderam contribuir para que algo de novo acontecesse, numa procura introspectiva de conceitos originais que valorizassem não só a criatividade de cada um, mas também as relações interpessoais, e do Homem com a Natureza.

Mais do que um projecto individual, tratou-se da possibilidade de podermos contribuir para o despertar de uma população, para uma nova realidade no seu modo vivendus, facto possível não só através da preservação arquitectónica e reabilitação do seu sistema social através da recuperação de alguns dos seus hábitos ancestrais , processo em desenvolvimento pela nossa parceira DaST, mas também ao aproximarmos a população local da arte e de todo o seu potencial enquanto matriz unificadora, fazendo com que orgulhosamente participem nos projectos, e que no futuro possam vir a receber os visitantes da sua aldeia num ambiente que esperemos de forma positiva, nunca mais seja o mesmo.

No momento estamos a trabalhar na organização do projecto JiuXian LandArt 2011 que terá lugar durante este ano, e na procura de novos cenários e parceiros para que possamos continuar a desenvolver estas residências, contribuindo da maneira possível para a implementação de uma mais sustentável e criativa forma de estar no mundo.

WOA

WOA / Artists in Residence

BBC Interview with Gonçalo Leandro

by Joan from BBC

13

Gonçalo Leandro

15

ArtistLevel congratulates all the people and agents involved in this project, faced with a network of potentialities which, ultimately, and without contradiction, mutually reinforce and consolidate one another: the catapulting of the artists represented in the project to a level of noteworthy international prominence; the fraternity and learning enjoyed with other foreign artists of strong reputation; the human and emotional exchanges, and, especially, the exchanges of values and knowledge of a diverse nature with the Chinese people – inhabitants, artisans, artists and small merchants – and also with their students/researchers – students and professors of SCUT (South China University of Technology) in Canton.

It is with great pride and spirit of collaboration that ArtistLevel actively embraces the prosecution of a multi-faceted project of sustainability and of a social nature such as this one, as it contributes to the preservation of a centuries-old village of such unique qualities, endowed with a material and intangible heritage of truly inestimable value.

Bruno Marques

a r ti s tl evel . o r g

It is fitting to highlight here the enormous success of this initiative beyond the personal sphere of the participants – soon proved by the growth of the Art Garden – as this involved a commitment to the domain of social responsibility and to the project of preserving cultural heritage, which shape our times.

Artist Level

ArtistLevel Networks (www.artistlevel.org) was invited by the WOA to participate in the LandArt 2009 project – organized by that entity in partnership with DaST (Design a Sustainable Tomorrow) – which involved an artistic residency in the village of JiuXian, Guangxi Province, China, from 15 October to 15 November 2009.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------A ArtistLevel Networks (www.artistlevel.org), foi convidada pela WOA a participar no projecto LandArt 2009, organizado por esta entidade em parceria com a DaST - Design a Sustainable Tomorrow, que envolveu uma residência artística na vila de JiuXian, província de Guangxi, China, entre 15 de Outubro e 15 de Novembro de 2009.

Cabe tornar aqui saliente o enormíssimo sucesso desta iniciativa também para lá da esfera pessoal dos participantes - porque comprometida com o domínio da responsabilidade social e com os desígnios da preservação do património cultural que enformam a actualidade -, desde logo comprovado pelo crescimento do Art Garden.

A ArtistLevel congratula todas as pessoas e agentes envolvidos neste projecto, em face de uma rede de potencialidades que, afinal, e sem contradição, mutuamente se reforçam e se sedimentam: o catapultar dos artistas que representa para um patamar de assinalável relevo internacional; a confraternização e aprendizagem usufruída com outros artistas estrangeiros de firmada reputação; as trocas humanas e emocionais, mas sobretudo de valores e conhecimentos de índole diversa, com os populares chineses - habitantes, artesãos, astistas e pequenos comerciantes -, mas também com os seus estudantes/investigadores - alunos e professores da SCUT (South China University of Technology) de Cantão.

Bruno Marques

17

É com assumido orgulho e espírito de colaboração que a ArtistLevel abraça activamente a pressecução de um projecto multi-prespectico de sustentabilidade e de cariz social como este, enquanto contributo para a preservação de uma aldeia milenar de especificidades tão singulares, detentora de uma dimensão patrimonial - material e imaterial - de valor verdadeiramente inestimável.

s el ecçã o _ s el ecti o n

Selecting the Portuguese and other international artists was definitely an interesting challenge. The cohesion of the group was of the utmost importance, so artists were chosen, not just for their creative abilities, but for their ability to unify those around them. We started by inviting the director and photographer Denis Piel, who had already worked with the farmers in JiuXian, as well as Michel Batlle, who is a performer, writer, painter and creator of the Psychophysiographie movement, an artist who presents a vast line of works as a critic and as an editor in contemporary art.

Besides both of these artists we had also guaranteed the participation of a Portuguese LandArt artist, painter and photographer, Maria Mendonça Coustols; a Portuguese video art artist and photographer, Marta Alvim; and the Chinese instrumentalist and composer, Duma Siran.

For the selection of Portuguese artists we worked with our national partner on this first residence in JiuXian, ArtistLevel.org, with whom we organized a jury of distinct personalities and renowned professionals from within the art world. The 2009 jury was composed by Frederic Coustols (DaST), Verónica Metello (at the time representing ArtistLevel.org), Luís Geraldes (IPJ), Pedro Soares (at the time representing Museu do Oriente), Gonçalo Leandro (WOA), and Professors Feng Shu and Feng Shiang for the selection of the musicians. The selection appeared to be just perfect: Marina Carvalho, Sara Yang, Filipa Silveira, Tim Madeira, Rui Pinto Gonçalves and Vasco Luz, they were not only totally commited to the project but they shown all along the residence a strong sence of humanity. What they produced during this month was just astonishing. It was the shared living experience we had dreamed of from the beginning, going beyond our best expectations. In their own words, they felt the experience exceptional.

Artists

Selection of Artists

Gonçalo Leandro ...............................................................................................................................................................................................

A selecção dos artistas

Gonçalo Leandro

19

A selecção de artistas portugueses e estrangeiros que pudessem integrar esta residência, e que reunissem as características necessárias para podermos atingir os objectivos traçados foi um desafio muito interessante.

Começamos por convidar um artista que já tinha trabalhado com a população de JiuXian, o fotógrafo e realizador Denis Piel e outro artista que já tinha trabalhado em residência com ele, o versátil Michel Batlle, performer, escultor e pintor, criador do movimento de Psychophysiographie e com um vasto trabalho como crítico e editor no mundo da arte contemporânea.

Para além destes dois artistas, tinhamos garantida a presença de uma fotografa, pintora e artista de LandArt portuguesa, a Maria Mendonça Coustols, de uma fotógrafa e artista de video art também Portuguesa, a Marta Alvim, e da compositora e instrumentista Chinesa Duma Siran.

Para a selecção dos artistas portugueses trabalhamos com o nosso parceiro nacional para a organização desta primeira residência em JiuXian, a ArtistLevel.org com quem reunimos um juri no qual procurámos incluir diferentes perfis, dentro de um leque de profissionais com percurso reconhecido pelo seu contributo ao mundo das artes.

Ficou então definido que o juri seria composto pelo Frederic Coustols (DaST), Verónica Metello (à data na Artistlevel), Luís Geraldes (IPJ), Pedro Soares (à data no Museu do Oriente), Gonçalo Leandro (WOA), e para a selecção dos músicos pelos professores Feng Shu e Feng Shiang.

O grupo de artistas seleccionado, composto por Marina Carvalho, Sara Yan, Filipa Silveira, Tim Madeira, Rui Pinto Gonçalves e Vasco Luz acabou por nos surpeender, não só pelo seu extraordinário empenho no projecto em geral, mas também pela forma como tão bem funcionou humanamente, como tão bem soube viver a experiência que gostariamos que fosse muito especial e que se veio a revelar, segundo as suas palavras, excepcional...

deni s p i el

Unlike the other artists who came to JuXian I was not a novice to the village. This was my third visit to JiuXian. My first visit was with Frederic Coustols when he invited my to join him on a visit of exploration. We had a mutual interest in discovering a village in China, me my FACESCAPES project, and he the development of an eco village. In our travels we found many wonderful places but when we found JiuXian it was obviously the right place for both of us.

The place was stunningly beautiful, there were enough historical buildings still intact and the people were receptive. My needs were simple, to interview, film and photograph the people as part of my larger Facescapes project. ”FACESCAPES where I follow a humanist tradition of getting in close on the subject, creating landscapes of faces, faces as a field, revealing contours and valleys like an aerial view of any terrain. But behind these abstractions my desire is to reveal the commonality of the human condition, a way of looking at the mileage of the human clock.”

It would be our village mine for Facescapes, and Frederic for his eco village.

Nine months later I returned for a month to produce my China FACESCAPES with my Australian – Chinese interpreter and a sound and camera assistant. The project went very well, meeting, filming and interviewing the locals. However I never totally finished my interviews as I fell ill and had to be shipped off to Hong Kong where I spent three weeks recovering. But I had achieved my objective despite not totally finishing all the interviews and film that I had planned.

A year later Frederic had almost fully developed his amazing project. Within the concept of his project was an artist in residence site. When Goncalo Leandro from WOA who was organising the residency asked me if I would like to nominate two artists to join them. I immediately included myself as well as Michel Batlle one of the local artist I had been working within the PADIES artist in residency program. I was very curious to see how the project had developed and what changes it had bought to the village. It was also an excellent opportunity for me to explore an idea I had wanted to expand for FACESCAPES. What was wonderful was to see the enthusiasm and inspiration that the artists felt in discovering JiuXian and China. There is no doubt that for the artists to develop a project in China, especially under an artist in residence program such as being developed in JiuXian was a tremendous opportunity. All the resources are available, scale is virtually limitless and costs are comically low so an artist can avail himself of material, skill sets both practical and technical that would be economically impossible for most of these artists in their home. The artists threw themselves at this opportunity. The sense of community was very strong with support for each other’s ideas and work, each developing their unique approach.

I was more the observer. The isolation of the village gave me an opportunity to reflect on how I wanted to move forward and also participate in the concept of land art that was the goal of the residency. Whilst exploring my concept for FACESCAPES I availed myself of the opportunity to film some local events, a funeral, a school visit and the artists at work as well as local life.

Through these observations I developed the concept for an installation piece that would incorporate Facescapes, the village and the mystic that surrounds it. I recorded local stories of mysticism and myth of the mountains which I’ll mix with the sounds of nature especially the sounds of the ever flowing water unique to this village, all this to be incorporated into the installation through multiple projections and sound bites within a symbolic room of five meters square. It is an exciting project. I managed to collect enough material for the project.

Now away from the quiet of JiuXian I need to find the time to fulfil this ambitious project. I believe it will immerse the spectator into the energy of the village, it’s peacefulness, its beauty, its people and it’s mysticism.

Denis Piel

21

To achieve this would make the JiuXian experience totally perfect.

23

bi o Denis Piel ......................

Denis is a photographer, filmmaker, writer and artist who also acts as a consultant to creative projects around the world.

Denis Piel earned an international reputation for his beauty, fashion and celebrity spreads for glossy magazines as well as for directing stylish commercials, and for his fine art works with projects like Platescapes or Facescapes, winning many international awards including the coveted Leica Award of Excellence.

At the moment and beside his intense work on his fine arts projects, Denis organizes with his wife Elaine Merkus the Culture & Culture Festival www.culturecultures.org ...............................................................................................................................................................................................

25

Denis é um artista, escritor, realizador e fotógrafo que também realiza consultorias a projectos criativos pelo mundo.

Denis Piel apresenta uma curriculum internacional riquíssimo devido ás publicação de moda, estética e celebridades nas mais diversas revistas de prestigio, assim como dirigiu anúncios de estilo. Os seus trabalhos de fine art contribuíram igualmente para a sua reputação, como os projectos de Platescapes ou Facescapes, onde ganhou diversos prémios internacionais, entre eles a Leica Award for Excellence.

De momento, além do seu trabalho intensivo em projectos de fine art, o Denis encontra-se com a sua esposa, Elaine Merkus, the Culture & Culture Festival (www.culturecultures.org).

27

duma s i r a n

bi o Duma Siran ..........................

Duman Siran, born on December 1991, grew up with her family and leads a rural life in the countryside, where her entire family works with pottery.

Instead of joining the chinese school, Duma was educated by her parents.

Duma performed for the first time when she was 13 years old and she has improved her learning on Guqin since then. Her teacher, Xie Dongxiao, is the deputy leader of the Canton Guqin Research Institute, where she also workes as a researcher. Duma also worked for two years as an independent journalist for a magazine company.

During the last years Duma has been a soloist for a series of performances as her talent in music seems to attract many people. ...............................................................................................................................................................................................

29

Investigadora do Canton Guqin Research Institute.

Duma Siran nasceu em Canton, China, em Dezembro de 1991, onde cresceu e desenvolveu a sua vida, lado a lado com a sua família envolvida na olaria e na vida rural. Ao invés de acompanhar o sistema educacional chinês corrente, a Duma foi educada pelos seus pais.

Trabalhou durante dois anos na qualidade de jornalista independente para uma editora e revista e deu o seu primeiro concerto de Guqin aos 13 anos.

Tendo como professor o actual responsável pelo Canton Guqin Research Institute, tem participado em várias performances como solista e o seu talento musical tem sido reconhecido pelos mais diversos públicos.

Inspirei-me num desenho, que fiz a tinta da china.

Esse desenho, de forma embrionaria algo antropomorfa parece indicar vida e morte.

Quando nascemos temos a certeza de que o nosso corpo será devolvido á terra.

A terra e seus microscópicos milhares de habitantes encarregar-se-ão de nos comer.

O espirito é devolvido ao universo.

O espirito está sempre no universo.

Quando estamos vivos e somos matéria, ele está no nosso corpo.

Como um desenho contornado a carvão.

Quando morremos o espirito voa para o cosmos.

Como um desenho mergulhado na água, o carvão dissolve-se.

Espalha-se.

Renascemos.

fi l i p a s i l vei r a

Um Continuar em Mim

No universo tudo vai e volta.

Como as marés do gigante mar. É um lugar de meditação, de estar, de conviver, onde nos encontramos, onde pedimos os nossos desejos, ao som da melodia das canas de bambú.

Sopramos e assobiamos tambem os nossos desejos, atraves de uma cana.

Sopramos ao vento, a Deus, às montanhas.

Em Jiuxian, diamante paradisíaco a sul da China no coração de Guilin.

Num vale em que o eco é poderoso, também os podemos gritar.

Comecei a aplicar o desenho com pedras no chão.

Na relva.

Um desenho em que fui colocando pedras numa linha continua.

Em forma de contorno.

O começo de uma grande jornada.

Um continuar de mim.

As pedras colocadas uma a uma.

Encaixando-as prepositadamente, como se de um puzzle gigantesco se trata-se.

Um desenho-lapis-papel.

Um desenho-pedras-relva-terra.

Uma combinação forte, pesada, efémera, devolvida ao tempo.

A solidão.

As canas assobiam melodias aos montes, que me olham todos os dias.

Eles são uns espectadores atentos, repetem o que digo, o barulho que faço com as pedras ou as musicas das canas de bambu.

Devolvem-me os sons que me entram nos ouvidos e me inspiram na composição da natureza.

Filipa Silveira

31

Senti-me acolhida pela natureza.

Um profundo amor se apodera de mim.

O gigante mosaico vai ganhando forma, cor, vida, visitantes, bisontes, abelhas, e cães e, toda a fauna. É o trabalhar com aquilo que a natureza nos dá.

Um continuar de mim.

33

fi l i p biao s i l vei r a Filipa Silveira ............................

Filipa Silveira, born in 1978, developed a basic graduation in jewelry and in decorative arts, at Ar.Co, in 2007, as she also completed the course of Artistic Formation at the Sociedade Nacional de Belas Artes, in 2003. At the moment, she’s in the 3rd year of sculpture at the Faculdade de Belas Artes da Unversidade de Lisboa. Filipa’s professional and artistic paths count with the participation in numerous solo and collective exhibitions, as her drawing and molding expressions transport us to a world where we encounter controlled and decelerated explosions by the fluidity of her imagination. .....................................................................................................................................................................

35

Filipa Silveira (n.1978) tem uma formação de base em joalharia, no Ar.co, em 2001; curso de formação artística, na Sociedade Nacional de Belas Artes, em 2003; o curso de Artes Decorativas na Escola de Artes e Ofícios Tradicionais, em 2007; licenciada em Escultura, com média final de 16 valores, na Faculdade de Belas Artes da Universidade de Lisboa.

Actualmente frequenta o curso avançado de Artes Plásticas no Next Art, e o mestrado em Anatomia Artística, na Faculdade de Belas Artes da Universidade de Lisboa.

O seu percurso artistico e profissional conta com a participação em inumeras exposições colectivas. A forma como desenha e molda, transporta-nos para um mundo onde nos deparamos com explosões controladas, explosões desaceleradas pela fluidez da sua imaginação.

ma r i a mendo nça co us t o l s This last residence in China, in Jiu Xian Garden Village, in a lost age, surrounded by the rivers , the mountains the gentleness of the farmers Lao Tseu in every corner of your mind Made me enter in another universe Where I felt totally in myself in this text written hundred years ago by F Pessoa Time and things have a different meaning You don’t want to include Time in your scheme.

You don’t want to think of things as time – bound, you want to Think of them as things.

You don’t want to separate them from themselves,treating Them as things present. you shouldn’t even treat them as real things, you shouldn’t treat them as anythingYou should see them, just see them See them until you can’t think about them, See them, without time or space, See and be able to put aside all but the seeable.

37

Maria Mendonça Coustols

39

bi o Maria Coustols ................................

Maria, a mother of 3 and for now a grandmother of 7, photographs, paints and sculpts with nature.

Her art is transversal as each of Maria’s personal and professioal steps are an extension to her artistic world, which is reflected in all that surrounds her.

She presented a few private exhibits at Hotel de Vibraye Paris 1981; Castelnau des Fieumarcon, France 2002; Palacio Belmonte, Lisbon, 2003; Palais du Gouverneur, Lectoure , France 2004; and participated in several collective exhibitions in Parede, Portugal 1973; Way of Arts, 2004, (installation); Way of Arts, 2005, (paintings).

Private collections in Portugal, France, Italy, Great Britain, USA, Australia. ...............................................................................................................................................................................................

41

Maria, mãe de 3 e para já avó de 7, é fotógrafa, pintora e escultora da natureza.

A sua arte é transversal, cada passo pessoal ou profissional è uma extensão do seu mundo artistico e isto reflecte se no que a rodeia.

A a sua obra jà foi exposta em varias galerias e é parte integrante de vàrias colecções, no entanto, onde eventualmente melhor a poderemos compreender será algures no meio da natureza, na China, França ou em outro dos países que recentemente visitou.

ma r i na ca r va l h o A residência artística Land Art JiuXian revelou um grande dinamismo e envolvimento entre arte, natureza e comunidade. Foi um ambiente único de trabalho colaborativo e sustentável, que delineou novas questões, novas perspectivas e novos desafios artísticos.

Eu acredito que, numa comunidade dinâmica, a comunicação e a expressão dos sentimentos e das necessidades são fulcrais para o desenvolvimento de um trabalho colectivo com vista a um melhor futuro. Nesse sentido, a experiência artística consegue mobilizar as comunidades para que sejam activas no seu desenvolvimento.

O que mais me impressionou neste projecto foi a beleza da sua imperfeição. Assumir o ser humano com os seus erros e limitações sem pretensiosismos, e simultaneamente abraçar sonhos, desejos e todas a capacidades sobrehumanas sem modéstias. Este projecto criou uma rede extremamente vibrante e dinâmica de relações humanas entre locais, forasteiros, chineses, estrangeiros, pessoas, entidades. JiuXian Garden Village é um futuro visionário no presente, humano e verdadeiro.

Muito obrigada a todas as pessoas que deram e continuarão a dar vida a este projecto.

Marina Carvalho

43

Fēi cháng găn xiè!

Marina Carvalho

45

O meu encontro com o Vale Èr Yuè Xià (End of February) Pinheiros serpenteiam as montanhas e vales de JiuXian. O vento abraça o tempo falando nas folhas, bambus, rochas,... Aqui, tudo é tempo e espaço. Aqui, penso a música na escultura.

Trabalho a matéria na sua dimensão espacio-corporal, numa relação de ritmos, texturas, densidades, frequências, cores, explorando o ritmo musical criado por conjugações da progressão da série numérica de Fibonacci. Exploro a série de Fibonacci como uma escala musical, onde as notas musicais são análogas aos corpos que crio. Corpos situados no tempo e espaço. Um dó ou um sol, ou um conjunto de notas musicais são volumes, têm uma determinada densidade, uma determinada frequência, massa, peso, dimensão, forma, cor, timbre, textura.

Trabalhar sobre esta dinâmica musical na escultura foi um desafio. A Land Art exige uma verdadeira vivência da matéria, tempo e espaço. Em JiuXian estes elementos apresentaramse como algo novo para mim – clima, geologia, natureza, cultura, paladares, aromas, hábitos e ritmos que nunca tinha vivenciado antes. Com uma recepção tão calorosa, o abraço daquela paisagem única, o grande entusiasmo que vibrava em todos nós, a ideia inicial para o meu trabalho surgiu facilmente. Mas logo me apercebi que ainda não me tinha despido de mim. Entregar-me ao presente, conseguir experienciar o tempo sem o relacionar com o já conhecido, entrar no pulso da vida de uma terra distante. Esta entrega levou o seu tempo, não foi um salto de olhos fechados mas antes um processo de adaptação, que, a pouco e pouco, diminuiu as distâncias. Como disse Zeng Weijun, chefe cozinheiro de JiuXian, “arte é vida, e vida é arte”. Neste sentido, o processo do meu trabalho foi o processo da minha vivência em JiuXian.

Da frustração nasceram novas ideias até à consolidação do essencial: o bambu como matéria e a natureza que com ele interage. O bambu é extremamente versátil, é leve e resistente, duro e flexivel, de rápido crescimento e longa durabilidade. Do macro ao micro, o bambu está em todo o lado.

Ele toma forma em objectos domésticos, instrumentos musicais, na construção de edifícios,... O bambu está tão presente aqui como a água ou o ar que respiramos. Tudo se faz com o bambu.

Alimentei-me das tradições locais e recriei-as. Descrevi corporeamente, em dois momentos, as tradições que vivenciei. Os dois momentos são matericamente e tecnologicamente semelhantes, mas combinados de modos diferentes. No primeiro momento, Fēng zhī dí, o bambu dialoga com o vento e com as pessoas que participam, tocando-os. O espaço circular acolhe a rítmica visual dos bambus, as pessoas que dialogam com eles e os seus sons. O som do vento nos bambus.

O tempo que passa e deixa marcas. O sol, as montanhas, ... No segundo momento, Yŭ zhī dí, o bambu dialoga com a chuva, com a montanha que respira com ele, com a rocha e as diferentes colorações que a povoam, com a brisa e os ventos que passam, com o tempo,... Em ambos, o bambu interage com o clima que molda a natureza e vai dando conta do tempo. Do tempo que faz vibrar a matéria mas que também a desgasta. Do tempo que vive, e do seu fim.

47

bi o Marina Carvalho ..................................

Marina Carvalho, born in 1981, graduated in sculpture at Faculdade de Belas Artes do Porto, in 2008/2009, and has a piano degree from the Academia de Música de Santa Maria da Feira. Both her professional and artistic paths are characterized by her multidisciplinary skills where, beyond her education in a diversity of artstic means, she also participated in an artistic residencie in Turkey, developed art-therapy work with handycap childreen in Israel, and participated in a series of international workshops and conferences.

Marina also teaches art and music to childreen. ...........................................................................................................................................................................

49

Marina Carvalho ( n.1981) é licenciada em escultura (2008/2009) pela Faculdade de Belas Artes do Porto e tem o curso de Piano atribuido pela Academia de musica de Santa Maria da Feira. O seu percurso artistico e profissional é caracterizado pela polivalência e multidisciplinaridade, sendo que para lá da formação em diversos meios artísticos, participou numa residência artística na Turquia, desenvolveu trabalho de arte-terapia com crianças deficientes em Israel e participou em vários simpósios e workshops internacionais. A Marina é também professora de crianças nas áreas da música e arte.

Tão cedo não esperava visitar a China, apesar de sempre ter sentido uma genuína atracção pelo Oriente. Essa atracão, que aliás é comum a muitos Ocidentais, vinha também acompanhada de um profundo sentimento de inércia; a inércia de quem sabe que vai fazer uma viagem maravilhosa e extenuante. Uma viajem aberta, trabalhosa, viva, onde nos sentimos acordados de dia e de noite, pois quando não observamos, interiorizamos, consciencializamos, reconstruímos o Eu, que é como quem diz, aumentamos esta nossa base de dados chamada consciência e consequentemente mudamos. Mudamos um bocadinho. E quando regressamos estamos um pouco diferentes.

Quando recebi o convite do meu amigo Gonçalo Leandro para desenvolver um projecto de Vídeo Art na residência de Jiùxiàn na China fiquei preocupada. Pensei: é desta; lá vou eu ter que acordar mais um bocadinho. E assim foi.

Nos dias seguintes, pesquisei acerca da zona onde iria trabalhar. Pensei que o ideal seria ficar algum tempo, para me poder enraizar e conhecer uma área mais extensa do território chinês.

Não tinha ainda uma ideia clara acerca do que iria desenvolver a nível de trabalho, mas isso não me preocupou pois sabia que quando chegasse saberia o que fazer. Há sempre algo que naturalmente se impõe, algo que se nos apresenta e é sobre isso que temos falar. Sempre acreditei que é com o trabalho de observação do confronto das nossas particularidades com a realidade que conseguimos atingir o nível da linguagem Universal; um pouco como Aristóteles, que afirmava ter encontrado o Universal no Particular, na essência das coisas.

Entrei e saí por Shanghai. Passaram cerca de 30 dias entre os meses de Novembro e de Dezembro.

Pelo meio ficou o Sudoeste chinês: as montanhas, Dàli, Lìjiãng, a Black Dragon Pool, o comércio de Yángshuò, o Tai chi e claro, ficou Jiùxiàn – a residência.

Cheguei num dia gelado. Ao contrario das previsões meteorológicas, que me fizeram comprar comprimidos para a malária, a temperatura longe se ser tropical, não passava dos 10 graus centigrados. A residência ia avançada, os artistas encontravam-se a trabalhar no campo, em terrenos destinado ao desenvolvimento de projectos de Land Art. Todos vestiam umas calças quentes, aos quadradinhos, que tinham comprado num mercado de aldeia. Eram uma espécie de calças para todo o serviço: trabalhava-se e ia-se à cidade com elas; vestidas por cima da roupa, faziam parte do dress code da residência e qualquer local saberia distinguir um artista da residência de outro estrangeiro qualquer. Eu não cheguei a tempo de comprar as tais calças aos quadradinhos mas, quando o frio apertou, a Maria Coustols, uma artista e amiga que qualquer pessoa gostaria de ter, emprestou-me as dela, que usei prontamente, apesar de mais tarde ter vindo a saber que se tratavam de calças de pijama.

Por opção, a minha estadia na residência iria durar cerca de 10 dias. Sentia que não tinha tempo a perder e queria rapidamente começar a filmar aquele lugar que me inspirava de tão enigmático. No dia seguinte, pedi a um guia para me levar até ao cimo de uma montanha e preparei a câmara, o tripé, os cartões de memoria.

A terra tinha uma cor quente e havia bamboos gigantes que balançavam com o energia do vento. Eu, influenciada pelo poder do subconsciente colectivo, imaginava-me no topo das arvores, a balançar no vazio do céu, com os pés assentes em ramos finos e flexíveis, a oscilar por entre o nevoeiro, por entre o vapor branco, húmido e silencioso.

Cheirava a final de tarde, a fumo que subia da aldeia. O sol iniciara a sua descida e eu já me aproximava do meu destino. Um novo espectro de luz ligava as montanhas numa única sillouette. No sopé ainda podia distinguir os contornos dos telhados Ming.

No topo de tudo o silêncio. O silêncio contra mim que permanecia perplexa, de olhar preso na vista que se apresentava.

Toda esta viagem foi feita na companhia do meu marido Vasco que para além de ter sido um excelente assistente de realização, foi o perfeito companheiro de viagem. Agradeço a sua disponibilidade. Agradeço também o convite do Gonçalo Leandro, a iniciativa da Maria e Frederic Coustols. Gostaria ainda de dizer que em todos os artistas que participaram nesta residência, reconheço o espírito de equipa, o companheirismo e a grande dedicação ao projecto de trabalho.

ma r ta a l vi m

Marta Alvim

51

53

bi o Marta Alvim ...........................

Marta Alvim, (born 1979) is a Portuguese artist and film director.

Marta graduated from the School of Arts department in the Portuguese Catholic University (Oporto/2002) with a Master specialization in Film.

Her work reflects specificities and convergences of artistic practices between New Cinema and Contemporary Art. Through video, installation and photography, she explores art practices and their critical purposes. In the last 4 years she participated in artist in residence programs in France, China and Spain.

One of her experimental films has won a Remy Silver Award in the independent film festival WorldFest Huston (USA). Marta’s work until now spoke about perception, sense of reality, consciousness, identity and society.

Lisbon Science University (PT) and New Media Lab- Mideciant, from Castilla La Mancha University (SP), supporting some of her current work. ...............................................................................................................................................................................................

55

Marta Alvim, (1979) Artista e realizadora Portuguesa.

Licenciou-se em Som e Imagem, na Escola das Artes da Universidade Católica Portuguesa e é Mestra em Cinema.

O seu trabalho reflecte especificidades e convergências entre o Novo Cinema e a Arte Contemporânea. Através do vídeo, da instalação e da fotografia, explora praticas artísticas e suas finalidades críticas. Nos últimos 4 anos, participou em programas de residência artística em Espanha, França e na China. Um dos seus filmes experimentais ganhou em 2009 um Remy Silver Award no festival de cinema independente WorldFest Huston (USA).

Até à data, o seu trabalho explorou o tema da Percepção e os conceito de Realidade, Consciência, Identidade e Sociedade.

A Universidade de Ciências de Lisboa (PT) e o New Media Lab- Mideciant da Universidade de Castilha-La Mancha (SP) apoiam alguns dos seus actuais projectos.

mi ch el b a t l l e la Succession des Ombres D’une ombre à l’autre, Dépasser l’ombre, y retomber En existences successives, à la file, recommencer.

Et ces ombres qui se poursuivent pour se confondre dans le noir.

De leurs superpositions naît la nuit.

Le fleuve abreuve la montagne.

Elle se hisse, étirée de lumière Pousse ses minérales entrailles Roches parées de laine verte Vert permanent. Vers le ciel.

Protubérances nées de chaos telluriques Enorme mâchoire de velours Massif aux contours bosselés, découpes sans ligne d’horizon.

Les hommes s’y sont refugiés, nourris, multipliés, ont combattus...

Chacune d’elle a ses usages, ses plis, ses courbes, ses mystères, Ses passages d’air et d’histoires.

Ici une femme et son buffle dans l’eau de la rizière, Là-bas, le pêcheur droit sur son radeau de bambous.

Ces montagnes furent des dieux, une armée plantée et à jamais pétrifiée, Prête au combat, vigilante, immobile sur son territoire.

L’homme y est tranquille, cultive ses jardins en gestes répétés, ses outils millénaires de la germination pénètrent la terre grasse et meuble.

Il va d’un carré d’eau à un carré de fruitiers, labyrinthe familier, D’une maison à l’autre, de la route à la forêt.

Les bambous en verticales souples et sonores se percutent et vibrent en rythmes singuliers, ponctuent la vie des champs humides.

Tous savent la vie secrète de ce monde aquatique...

Michel Batlle

57

L’ombre naît de la lumière, elle est l’autre face du fracas solaire, Découpe, fragmente, glisse sa présence, Plante ses contre-jours pour un noir unanime, Laisse place à la voie lactée.

Mais la nuit n’est pas un charbon ardent, d’autres ombres arrivent à pas feutrés, découvrant d’autres formes, les passages habituels de cet ensemble indistinct...

Observant le cycle d’ombres et de lumières, le peintre attend patiemment adossé au rocher.

L’encre attend le pinceau, la feuille humide et tendre...

Passent les heures...

Un oiseau, soudain, raye de sa trajectoire, l’étrange panorama.

Peuples ou minorités ?

Michel Batlle

59

Les différents peuples qui composent la Chine sont appelés « minorités ».

Tel est le titre de mon tableau réalisé à JiuXian.

Il fait suite à ma série du début des années 80 intitulée « Les guerres culturelles ».

Tous les jours meurent des langues et des cultures. Les pensées dominatrices, les pouvoirs politiques et marchands ont mis les populations au pas de la consommation. Tout est devenu marché même l’art !

Dans ce triptyque, les oppositions entre formes naturelles et fabriquées sont les éléments évocateurs de ces problèmes inhérents à l’évolution de notre civilisation moderne. Son vocabulaire plastique est celui de l’art du XXéme siècle, peinture abstraite gestuelle, géométrique et matiériste, figuration, écritures (ici poèmes de Lao Tse en palimpsestes peints par trois personnes différentes).

Il n’y a pas d’anecdote si ce n’est la découpe des montagnes qui situe le lieu de création du tableau.

Une peinture d’histoire sans histoire qui laisse le spectateur maître de son interprétation; je pense qu’il pourra ressentir le drame humain que j’ai voulu évoquer.

63

bi o Michel Batlle .............................

C’est en 1966 que Michel Batlle, crée un concept tout à fait nouveau qui allie l’art au corps en une “relation entre le corps et l’esprit traduite par des moyens graphiques“ qu’il nommera: psychophysiographie. Contrairement à la majorité des mouvements de rupture, propres à l’émergence d’idées nouvelles, la psychophysiographie, propose une lecture chirurgicale et intuitive du monde, avec pour support central et focalisation : le corps humain. Cette “science” de l’inexactitude et du simulacre anatomique, justifie son existence du fait de l’éloignement, des artistes, du corps humain, à ce moment là, en tant que base de recherche fondamentale de l’art, non seulement dans sa spiritualité mais dans sa physiologie. Elle est la matérialisation d’un champ de prospection et de recherches des relations entre le charnel et la réflexion, l’instinctif et le monde visible, avec toutes leurs sensations combinées. ...............................................................................................................................................................................................

65

Em 1966 Michel Batlle criou um conceito totalmente inovador que une a arte ao corpo numa “relação entre o corpo e o espírito traduzida através de meios gráficos” e ao qual denominou: psychophysiographie. Contrariamente à maioria dos movimentos de ruptura, próprios à emergência de novas ideias, a psychophysiographie propõe uma leitura cirúrgica e intuitiva do mundo, tendo por suporte central e por foco, o corpo humano. Esta “ciência” de inexactidão e de simulacro anatómico justifica a sua existência por causa do afastamento, dos artistas, do corpo humano, nesse preciso momento, como base de pesquisa fundamental da arte, não apenas no seu contexto de espiritualidade mas também no contexto da fisiologia. Esta é a materialização de um campo de prospecção e pesquisas sobre as relações entre o sensual (carnal) e as reflexões, entre o instintivo e o mundo visível, com todas as suas sensações combinadas.

No entanto, apesar deste aparente equilíbrio, é incontornável a necessidade de evolução desta aldeia pois, de outra forma, estará ameaçada a sua existência e longevidade. Por maior que seja o seu interesse, se não forem criadas actividades que possam, antes de mais fixar os nativos e depois atrair os visitantes, a possibilidade desta se manter viva será improvável.

Este plano de intervenção, deverá basear-se no investimento associado a uma dinamização.

A estratégia proposta consiste em investir nas potencialidades da riqueza cultural e natural da região e conduzi-las para o turismo, através de alguns aspectos como: - Produção e comercialização de produtos regionais de excepção, nomeadamente no campo das plantas medicinais, de produtos alimentares muito abundantes e de qualidade como o arroz; - Aplicação e divulgação das terapias da medicina oriental; - Exploração dos objectos de artesanato característicos deste local; - Aproveitamento das áreas agrícolas como cenário para percursos temáticos; - Desenvolvimento de um tipo de turismo singular e educacional, com oferta de experiências plenas de valor cultural, in loco; Importa conferir à aldeia uma dinâmica sustentável e flexível o suficiente para garantir que é mantida a força da sua identidade. Delinear as estratégias e constituir os instrumentos necessários para um desenvolvimento imune à perda de identidade cultural e capaz de manter equilíbrio ecológico. Garantir à aldeia, uma certa auto-suficiência económica que permita a sua constante manutenção, sem melindrar os seus traços.

O desafio da intervenção que nos estamos a propor cumprir é acrescentar sem sobrepor. É ler o que existe e confirmar a mensagem presente no espírito do lugar e salvaguardar a sua existência. É desenhar de forma invisível a coisa certa, num suporte sólido.

r ui p i nto g o nça l ves 67

O binómio Homem-Natureza foi desde sempre indissociável, mas a relação entre as partes tem sofrido inúmeras e profundas alterações ao longo dos tempos. Se nos deslocarmos através da barra cronológica, conseguimos ler as nítidas transformações.

No passado, partimos de uma fase de harmonia e equilíbrio, onde o Homem, ser vivo consciente e responsável pelos seus actos, reconhecia o poder da Natureza no Universo e se movia mediante as suas motivações, com esta premissa sempre presente e com explicações metafísicas para dar resposta às suas dúvidas.

Com a evolução, o Homem foi alargando os seus conhecimentos científicos e técnicos, sentindo um inadequado poder sobre todas as coisas, nas mãos de quem não tinha sensibilidade para o gerir perante uma entidade maior – a Natureza. Colocou à margem dinâmicas espontâneas, que estabeleciam uma matriz de ordem natural e que deveria ser intransponível. Procurou dominar, transformar, controlar…

Hoje, a consciência obriga-nos a parar para pensar e a parar a máquina que avança sobre a Natureza. A evolução pode e deve continuar a existir, mas de uma forma Sustentável, que permita garantir todo o conforto das comunidades, num contexto saudável. Interessa proteger os recursos, com estratégias alternativas e inverter a toxicidade das manchas de modernidade.

A Land Art insere-se neste momento de reflexão.

Esta forma de Arte, surge no século XX, quando a definição de Arte se torna mais abrangente e se passa a apresentar sob as mais diversas formas de expressão. É um gesto de manifestação artística que sublinha a escala da Natureza e que a procura completar e equilibrar, respeitando a sua essência. Baseia-se num princípio equalitário entre o Homem e a Natureza, e de articulação entre as partes.

A aldeia de Jiu Xian, apresenta-se como um suporte para esta expressão artística, provido de um cenário natural rico e pleno, valorizado por registos de uma ocupação de origens ancestrais, que parecem existir naquele local desde sempre.

69

bi o Rui Pinto Gonçalves .........................................

Rui Pinto Gonçalves (b. 1963) is an architect by education and profession, with a degree by the Factulty of Architecture of the Lisbon Technical University, and founding partner of RRJ Arquitectos, an internationally active firm with head office in Lisbon. Traveller by vocation, humanist and ecologist by nature, Rui Pinto Gonçalves has developed architectural projects where environmental integration, self-sustainability and formal experimentation assume the structural theme. ...........................................................................................................................................................................

71

Rui Pinto Gonçalves ( n.1963) é arquitecto de formação e profissão, licenciado pela Faculdade de Arquitectura da Universidade Técnica de Lisboa e sócio fundador da RRJ arquitectos, empresa sediada em Lisboa e activa internacionalmente. Viajante por vocação, humanista e ecologista por natureza, Rui Pinto Gonçalves tem desenvolvido projectos arquitectónicos onde a integração ambiental, auto-sustentabilidade e experimentação formal se assumem como mote estrutural.

s a r a ya n Arrival stay.

Feel see hear to be Dark night Could see nothing, ground soil scent tree shadows.

Going interior land China strange language.

Foreigners we and they Light day. See all landscape. Self.

Cry, way made person to person , arrives until me.

At the table.

Interior happenings, Self found in substance and without it, presides strength.

Effort believed attempt beyond the substance, transform in substance following the our self way.

Have before, safety before. Base to jump. Before to be. Live.

Don’t know who I’m Don’t know where I’m Don’t know what things means I only can see Feel, scent.

Listen what I hear.

The place is strong I’m going to work Find to be something.

Merge with world feel its strengths, And found the parts in sense that echoes the interiority alive in me.

Realize it.

In relation Inside with Nature - Life - Universe

73

Stay time between things, alive.

Form an idea felted Inside me

Chegada estar.

Sentir ver, ouvir ser.

Noite escura Nada se via, cheiro terra batida, arvóres sombras.

Podia ser Moçambique, quando iamos madrugada interior adentro.

China língua estranha.

Estrangeiros, nós e eles.

Dia luz . Vê-se toda a paisagem. O ser.

Choro o caminho feito, da pessoa a pessoa até chegar a mim.

Na mesa.

Sinais interiores. Ser encontrado na matéria e na falta dela, preside força.

Esforço acreditado esforçado para lá da matéria , transforma-se matéria no caminho do ser.

Antes ter. Antes segurança. Base saltar. Antes ser. Viver.

Formar ideia sentida dentro de mim.

Em relação Dentro com a Vida.

75

Não sei quem sou.

Não sei onde estou.

Nem o que as coisas significam.

Só consigo ver, sentir, cheirar, ouvir o que oiço.

Mas o lugar é forte.

Vou trabalhar, descobrir ser.

Fundir com o mundo sentir as forças, e debaixo encontrar as partes soltas no sentir que ecoam com o interior vivo em mim, persegue, con segue.

Place to be in nature (in self in universe).

77

Mudath

Around Yellow Mountain Drawing disposed in a pentagon view.

Walking around the Mountain, following sun, during day and night.

Place and me is not a homogeneous happening.

Sun changes movement.

But in each place, it maintains the same movement.

Everyday.

Around between sun and place Changes dark-light, plants growing, sounds, qualities‌ Also changes my feelings, thoughts, strength, faith, resistance, desires...

Between me, my body and light, animals, space, seeing, not seeing, darkness, cold, dry, humidity, warm‌. sense of un/control is changed, also, the sense of possibilities to be, to live, to create.

Sun Place Me happening into being?

5 elements Sunrise, EAST side of mountain: tree Particular fresh air, light,...

Midday, SOUTH side of mountain: fire Hot, dry soil, people everywhere moving, and…

Sunset, WEST side of mountain: soil Warm, calm, closed place,…

10pm, S-W side of mountain: metal Dark, cold, sounds,searching, finding …

3 am, N-E side of mountain: water Still dark, humid place, growing plants.

This work was inspired to live-experience the recognition of energy in transformation from these 5 elements, from the traditional Chinese culture. The chosen elements have in their own way of being the characteristics to represent the recognize energy’s state: Water starts to flow in anyplace it appears, and goes around any obstacle, never stops flowing liquid, steam, humid.

When energy is flowing, it can start to increase energy.

Wood is always growing in one direction, up.

When energy reaches its maximum grow. It will start to go everywhere, outside. Fire spreads its movement in any direction, if you put paper in the left it can go left, if you put down it can go down.

After energy expands outside until its limit, it can only start to decrease energy. If you grab Soil with your hand and let it go, it always moves down with gravity, finding place stable to fix, and there is its form of live and grow.

After energy decrease it start to go inside, to live inner states of enlarging. In Metal stone each particle is moving to interior, so the stone is amount of particles join together.

Even if outside energy seems to be stopped, inside there still inner movements, when inner movements reaches to its own limit, it will start to move outside, anyway, and starts to flow becoming water energy, again.

I describe elements following the cycle of creation, but exist also destruction as transformation cycle.

bi o Sara Yan ...................

Sara Chang Yan, born in 1982, mostly reveals her artistic expressions through drawing.

Currently, shes’s an assistant of the artist Rui Moreira. Her artistic path was balanced by her studies in architecture, at Faculdade de Arquitectura da Universdade Técnica de Lisboa, and by a drawing course at Ar.Co, of which she gave sequence by frequenting an advanced degree. Her work reveals a three dimensional organic tendency, through which we dive into a universe of symbols that we’re still discovering. ...............................................................................................................................................................................

81

Sara Chang Yan (n.1982) recorre essencialmente ao desenho como medium expressivo. Actualmente assistente do artista Rui Moreira, tem um percurso artistico marcado por uma formação de base em arquitectura, pela Faculdade de Arquitectura da Universidade Tecnica de Lisboa, complementada pelo curso de desenho da Ar.co, ao qual deu seguimento através da frequência do curso avançado. O seu trabalho tem uma tridimensionalidade orgânica, com ele mergulhamos num universo de simbolos que ainda estamos a descobrir.

8 Postes no Meu Jardim De postes em madeira para construção de um novo Museu e de materiais reciclados, assim aconteceu a minha obra, associada à natureza e ao enorme respeito que aquele lugar e projecto impunham.

Cacos - que iniciaram todo um processo que se transformou num projecto que com enorme surpresa me fez recordar extraordinários momentos numa ilha distante de Moçambique onde senti que o mundo é pequeno e frágil.

Ferros – Uma faixa de pedra calcária branca numa imensa rocha negra, onde como pano de fundo ficaram os restos metálicos de uma qualquer serralharia.

ti m ma d ei r a

Por enorme respeito … … ao sonho de um homem e de uma mulher que permitiram que os outros também pudessem sonhar. À Iiwi, a minha flor que continua a não acreditar que eu não tinha um projecto. À Sissi, com o seu sorriso enigmático que tanto atrai. À Lizzie, com a sua escrita que ainda me acompanha em memorias passadas e futuras que ainda vão acontecer. À Wang que me traduziu todo um projecto mais 26 dedicatórias de caracter.

Ao Jason Chen, o respeito. À Tatoo, tão verde e tão distante... À Duma, deleite inusitado em momentos de nostalgia. À Marta, tanta fotografia em precoces projectos.

Ao Gonçalo, o mentor deste projecto…como é bom sonhar e tornar esta realidade muito melhor.

Ao Artur, os homens práticos que acreditam nos sonhadores.

Ao Nicolas, o louco enigmático Ao Fonze, ainda mais louco e excepcional.

Ao Denis, o homem de um mundo que todos nos gostaríamos de conhecer.

Ao Daughan, e às minhas meninas , onde tudo se conjugou sempre baixo a paleta da escrita tradicional chinesa, que me acompanha e acompanhará, para não me esquecer, na minha casa, tão longe e tão perto da nossa arte.

Aos taxistas… Obrigado pelas músicas que acabei de ouvir.

Ao passeio da montanha…o que eu sonhei nesse dia de confiança e onde entendi a verticalidade e exctase deste patrimonio natural. À Casa das Lanternas Encarnadas…onde se sonhava todos dias e onde eu também sonhei e pintei num atelier improvisado em que o chão já pertencia às minhas pinturas.

Ao restaurante e ao meu amigo cujo nome não me recordo, mas que não é importante, onde comi, vivi e o conheci, e que espero um dia voltar a ver por memoria de tantos momentos que partilhámos, na braseira que sempre me esperava ao fim da tarde. Às aulas e aos miúdos, à reciclagem, e às emoções tão fortes das memórias de tempos de África. À Sara, com a sua espiritualidade exacerbante.

Ao Rui, o meu amigo…que vista extraordinária em direcção ao infinito. À Filipa, com a sua sensibilidade descontrolada, com quem tanto me identifiquei e..... dança. À Marina, com todo o seu encanto e mestria de uma grande mulher do norte.

Ao Vasco, cuja obra não se ergueu mas encontrou o seu nicho aconchegante no meio das rochas.

Ao Michel…a pessoa que melhor entendi com as suas três caras trespassadas de cor e com quem aconteceu um almoço cujos pauzinhos eram os seus pincéis e todos nós do grupo duro e permanente onde um trabalho e uma amizade aconteceram.

Tea House…ao caminho que todos os dias percorria, respeitando o percurso natural dos animais que por mãos hábeis foi criado também para homens, e que me levava diariamente a um local extraordinário de experiencias e sensações.

Museu…cobertura invertida que os meus amigos carpinteiros executaram, enquanto me ajudavam sempre que precisava, e nunca me vou esquecer do sorriso desta amizade Artits’ Residence…as fardas onde se cruzaram modernismo e tradicionalidade de um povo que não pode parar.

O Jardim Medicinal… cheio de sensações e aromas seculares. Às mulheres que o fizeram, que o plantaram, e que tanto me ajudaram, onde os homens são só artesãos.

83

Tenho um pequeno bosque em terras distantes do oriente...

Viajar é, além da experiência do distanciamento físico do lugar de origem, aceder a um estado emocional que nos oferece uma vivência exclusiva, enriquecedora do nosso capital de memórias.

Conhecer novas realidades com o incentivo de desenvolvimento de um projecto artístico é certamente uma mais valia que pretendi aproveitar ao máximo em ambas as vertentes - artística e pessoal.

O tema a desenvolver era de si entusiasmante pela sua contemporaneidade e o tipo de arte a adoptar na concretização do projecto, embora com apogeu de novidade historicamente anterior, mostrava-se, pela localização e características do espaço a ser tratado, a mais evidente e apetecível.

Tudo se desenrolava à velocidade da luz na minha cabeça, num enervamento saudável que só despoletava maior velocidade na criatividade. Rapidamente a escolha de materiais e de volumetria a adoptar foi encontrada e a materialização da peça começou e desenrolou-se de uma maneira natural até à sua instalação no local definitivo.

Cada mastro/totem foi criado com uma idiossincrasia com as imagens e as vivências que o decorrer dos dias me ofereceu, e a cada um deles, edificado com materiais diferentes mas realçando uma coerência voluntária, pode ser atribuído um significado. Talvez este significado não possa ser nomeado individualmente, mas a identidade própria de cada um converge num todo global que intencionalmente escolhi para transmitir, à minha maneira, o que o tema me provocou e a forma como a minha criatividade foi estimulada.

E parte integrante da vivência do projecto foi o convívio e a troca de experiências com os vários participantes e os colaboradores e os habitantes.

De um valor perpétuo são as trocas de pontos de vista, de conhecimentos e experiências pessoais e culturais.

A vida na aldeia trouxe-me um espólio para a vida.

Penso que o contacto entre os participantes deu a cada um de nós uma visão ampliada do nosso trabalho pessoal e engrandeceu a percepção interessante das diferentes respostas aos mesmos estímulos.

Por outro lado o contacto com todos os intervenientes que estiveram presentes ora para apoiarem logisticamente a acção, ora para terem uma participação activa na materialização do projecto, mostrou uma riqueza inesgotável.

Das novas visões e interpretações de conceitos que pensava definitivos, à observação de diferentes maneiras de ver a vida e o mundo, um ganho enorme em termos pessoais e profissionais ficou garantido.

Entrar num táxi e o condutor escolher a musica que nos marca a memória, ou aprender , lendo os gestos intemporais de comunicação do cozinheiro, como preparar uma iguaria típica, são novas pedras de uma calçada multicolorida.

Calçada que construo sem limite de tempo nem desejo.

85

Limalha – Representando a pura observação dos restos de um trabalho quotidiano.

Latas – Produto de uma civilização em consumo exarcebado, e um dos locais mais estranhos e imundos que já conheci, com gente suave e risonha que não entendeu o porquê de um estrangeiro comprar lixo e o próprio transportá-lo entre riso e surpresas e um dialogo imcompreensivel.

Potes... de uma olaria – com um forno extraordinário, cujo brilho da jorra ofuscava de encanto quando da abertura da parede de adobe que lhe bloqueava as entranhas de fogo, quais filhos perdidos por nascer.

Plásticos – porcos, imundos e mal cheirosos, restos humanos… sem mais comentários e sempre os mais visuais.

Telhas – que representam a assinatura de um artista artesão, no topo de um volume habitacional, é uma assinatura que não tem paralelo.

Numero Oito – pintado pela mestria de um povo.. Sissi e Daughan, fruto de séculos de história, tradição e memória, com um significado associado a felicidade, futuro e boa aventurança.

No fundo mais fundo da minha honestidade, o que mais tenho e sinto é a saudade egoísta dos momentos e das pessoas que nunca vou esquecer.

Sinais do tempo presente

Michael Batlle

87

TIM MADEIRA erigiu sinais, confrontou-os com a imponente natureza, num cara a cara desproporcionado; qual objectos de uma arqueologia contemporânea, declinando certos aspectos por nós produzidos, remanescentes do nosso tempo.

Assim agregados em redor de troncos, plantados em mastros de madeira, em cachos de limalhas metálicas, fragmentos ferrosos contundentes, objectos cerâmicos extraídos de uma mescla argilosa e de outras matérias insólitas do nosso consumo, são, como escreveu Fernando Pessoa «Frutas de ferro útil da árvore -fábrica cosmopolita!».

Se o processo criativo de Tim se pode assemelhar ao dos seus predecessores da Pop Art, ele renova-o deslocando-o do seu contexto conhecido para dele fazer um elemento perturbador no seio da natureza.

Trata-se pois de esculturas mas também de Land-Art , naquilo que os sinais plantados no flanco das montanhas não são apenas vistos como objectos de arte mas sim despoletadores para uma abertura e uma visão sobre a paisagem.

De uma certa forma uma «integração / perturbação» para melhor dizer o que a natureza sabe de ela própria mas não pode dizer senão com palavras modestas demais, imperceptíveis e naturais.

Assim, o artificial produzido pela sua recuperação de objectos, dirá na sua língua, nascida de eléctricas fusões, uma parte daquilo que deveríamos aí descobrir, a saber, a humanidade da paisagem.

bi o Tim Madeira ...........................

Tim Madeira, born in 1955, is a multifaceted artist who studied at the Escola Superior de Belas Artes de Lisboa, completed a course in visual communication at Ar.Co and graduated in architecture at the Escola Superior de Arquitectura de Madrid, where he also studied free painting and statue drawing.

His solid background expresses itself through a work essentially anchored in assemblage, where the superposition and conjugation of different materials expresses a conceptual and formal approach, essentially characterized by an uncomplexed free maturity. .......................................................................................................................................................................................

89

Tim Madeira ( n.1955) é um artista multifacetado que frequentou a Escola Superior de Belas Artes de Lisboa, fez um curso de comunicação visual e fotografia na Ar.Co e licenciou-se em arquitectura pela Escola Superior de Arquitectura de Madrid, onde frequentou também o curso de pintura livre e desenho de estátua. A sua formação sólida e plural taduz-se num trabalho essencialmente ancorado na assemblage e na colagem, onde o recurso à conjugação e sobreposição de diversos e distintos materiais, espelha uma abordagem formal e conceptual essencialmente caracterizada por uma descomplexada e livre maturidade.

Um destes dias, durante um passeio por um dos vales que envolvem JiuXian, encontrei uma raiz. À primeira vista senti-me atraído pela forma como se destacava em cima da relva. Num estado contemplativo, observei-a e sem demora ela apropriou-se do meu pensamento. Estava lançado o mote para o desenvolvimento do meu trabalho e consequente marca neste espaço que tão grandiosas sensações já me proporcionou. De imediato obtive a certeza que dali iria sair algo que me influenciaria na obtenção de certezas. Certeza de que a minha obra teria tudo a ver com o espaço, certeza de que a minha obra estaria de todo, num nível semelhante à visão que tenho sobre qualquer intervenção artística em tão magnífico cenário. Fiquei completamente definido e de forma tranquila encarei esse facto.

va s co l uz

Raíz

De repente, e porque sempre o soube, qualquer ideia pré-definida, sobre como encarar essa mesma intervenção, estava posta de parte. Não me parece, e nunca me pareceu, razoável tentar projectar uma obra a doze mil quilómetros de distância do topo de uma cidade ruidosa e poluída. Como tinha pensado, o espaço encarregou-se de me guiar para o que ele próprio gostaria de obter, em seu benefício, com a minha ajuda. Tenho sempre um lado mais prático do que teórico quando se trata de executar e ponderar uma qualquer peça. Neste caso penso que ambas as situações se equivalem por si só. A execução da peça serve o propósito da sua natureza e a sua definição necessita dessa construção material para que possa existir e ser compreendida.

A raiz torna-se na base sustentável da própria vida. Ela esconde-se para que possa proporcionar a segurança necessária aos que dela dependem. Mantém-se invisível e oculta-nos as suas diferenciadas formas. Incríveis momentos não revelados vivem debaixo dos nossos pés. A árvore é o espectro das suas raízes. É o mundo virado do avesso onde uma necessária escuridão impera. A raiz aguarda a luz para que possa oferecer aos olhos mais atentos a perfeita noção desse estado já iniciado. Fazemos parte de um ciclo onde nos incluímos e do qual dependemos. Ele existe antes de o podermos compreender.

A reprodução do efeito emocional e reflectivo acerca do que está para lá do nosso alcance é a ideia deste trabalho. Não somos princípio nem fim. Somos a realização do que nos sustenta.

Somos, de uma forma ou de outra, limitados pelas nossas raízes, dependemos da sua estrutura para que possamos evoluir. Sou completamente fascinado pela forma como a natureza nos impõe as suas características. Não conseguimos determinar o seu comportamento nem fugir dessa condição. Sabemos sim que existem relações definidas e que as suas exteriorizações nos revelam e implementam as mais fantásticas observações. A raiz é orientada pela seu objectivo, perfeitamente estabelecido e necessariamente eficaz nos seus propósitos.

Como matérias escolhidas para o desenvolvimento do trabalho, a madeira, o ferro e a terra ou barro são o seu núcleo forte, dependentes das condições atmosféricas que, com certeza, o influenciarão. O grosso da obra é a madeira, o material com o qual mais me identifico, com o qual tenho uma especial relação. Num efeito espiral, continuo e entrelaçado a peça ganha vida com a direcção escolhida das suas extremidades. Na tentativa de recriar o elemento descoberto, a obra pode ser confundida com qualquer outro ser ou objecto, compreensão que passará pela imaginação de quem a observa. O ferro está presente como elemento escondido e como reforço das diferentes junções que perfazem a obra. Também assim o é no seu meio natural. A terra, que se infiltra nas cavidades a descoberto, revela-se o elemento mais flexível e adaptado. Encontra, ela própria, o seu meio para se desenvolver. A peça não fica definida no seu terminus de construção, ela permanece serena e perfeitamente orientada para que possa continuar a crescer.

Vasco Luz

91

Depois de muito pensar sobre a forma que quero dar a este trabalho chego à conclusão mais óbvia, ou seja, tal como uma raiz que no seu meio natural não tem uma linha de progressão definida e que devido a todos os elementos que vai encontrando e a todas as adversidades que tem de ultrapassar, tem de se moldar para que possa, ela própria, existir, também assim será desenvolvido o meu trabalho. O seu desenho final é a extensão da sua vontade. As suas curvas adequar-se-ão ao momento próprio da sua criação.

93

bi o Vasco Luz .....................

Vasco Luz, born in 1980, is an artist/craftsman who graduated from the Fundação Ricardo Espírito Santo Silva and who gave an early start in the experience of other universes by applying his technique in artistic sculpture.

The smoothness of his cutting transports us to an organic depth directly connected to nature, where he reveals the capability to evidence his works at the same time it becomes part of its surroundings. ...............................................................................................................................................................................

95

Vasco Luz (n. 1980) é um artífice/artista formado pela Fundação Ricardo Espírito Santo Silva, que desde cedo quis experimentar outros mundos aplicando a sua técnica na escultura artística. A fluídez dos seus cortes transporta-nos para uma organicidade profunda em estreita relação com a natureza, onde consegue criar obras que ao mesmo tempo que se destacam, diluem-se na mesma.

97

g a r den vi l l a g e

JiuXian

99

101

103

he intends to reach, his velocity and inertial force does not change course while all calculations demonstrate that he will hit the wharf and destroy his boat and the people on it. People have

105

Never has the world been so open and so complex and never have the social, economical and political organizations been so restrained. The sudden disappearance of the last century’s ideological and political frontiers that gave birth to today’s dominant model which rules our lives is now shaping a new world where all humans feel simultaneously happy and trapped - the reason for their call for a paradigmatic shift of the present social and economical foundations of our society.

French humorist, Pierre Desproges used to say in a famous sketch: “ To go from barbarism to decadence one has to experience civilisation” we will presume that “civilisation” refers to our western model!!! But Pierre Desproges might have been more fortunate in saying: “to go from barbarism to civilisation one has to experience decadence”.

Thanks to the analytical thinking mode of our western hemisphere we gave way to tremendous progress quantity and quality wise in terms of mobility, freedom from nature and superfluous plenty. The model has been such a success up until the last decades and was so well advertised thanks to the global information system that each country in the world wished to imitate it as fast as possible.

However, all of these discoveries having produced a welfare state for about 10% of the world population are just as obsolete as the ones belonging to the religious community of the Middle Ages defended at the time when they sent Galileo to jail. We are watching a rerun of the last days of the Middle Ages with one fundamental difference: Galileo’s discovery.

As soon as he was released, having thus broken the sacred diktat, he opened the way for fabulous new fields of research. However, all the forthcoming discoveries and their applications never affected our ecosystem until the second half of the 19th century when things started to slowly fall into disharmony with the Earth system. As we can see today, the ecological footprint in most of the developed countries and in underdeveloped countries copying our model exceeds their bio capacity.

According to the last Living Planet Report 2005 published in 2008, the USA in 2005 had a bio capacity per inhabitant of 5 global hectares per capita (gha) but their carbon footprint reached 9.4 gha. In 2005 the USA were outsourcing 4.4 gha outside their own territory to sustain their way of life while European bio capacity was 2.3 gha and they had a footprint of 4.7 gha outsourcing 2.4 gha from outside countries.

It is very interesting to compare the present situation of the 3 European countries having the worse economical problems - Greece, Spain and Portugal. Those 3 countries have the highest deficit: bio capacity/ecological footprint per capita respectively: - 4.2 gha, -4.4gha and -3.2 gha.

China has a bio capacity of 0.9 gha and a footprint of 2.1 gha outsourcing 1.2 gha just to fuel its employment needs and cash machine, as the bulk of production is exported.

If we dare look at the overall world figures by type of income the high income countries representing 1 billion people have an average ecological footprint of 6.4 gha for a bio capacity of 3.7 gha. The medium income countries with 3 billion people have an average ecological footprint of 2.2 gha for a bio capacity of 2.2 gha and the low income countries with 2.4 billion inhabitants have an average ecological footprint of 1 gha for a bio capacity at the level of China 0.9 gha. The world figures show a missing bio capacity of 0.6 gha per capita or 3.84 billion gha !!!!!

And there are still 5,4 billions citizens, worldwide, waiting to join our so called “civilized way of life”... These figures demonstrate one only very simple thing: that our model, through which all decisions are implemented is wrongly tuned i.e. the laws, the tax system , the statistical data we work with, the financial and accounting rules, the education and health system, the commercial agreements, the agricultural practices and prices, the way the Cities and States grant permission to build, open factories, the process through which bankers grant loans etc. Our model, the so-called “civilised model” is doomed to collapse if we do not make the necessary changes.

A few years ago Oystein Dahle former Esso Vice President Norway said, “Socialism collapsed because it did not allow prices to tell the economic truth. Capitalism may collapse because it does not allow prices to tell the ecological truth”. We have crossed that line today An image comes to mind, the one of a captain, who, knowing his position, the one of the port

been fighting for democracy for years and lots of countries are still fighting, but, when we look at the actions taken by their leaders and their respective parliaments to bring harmony in our lives, they look hollow.

The necessary paradigmatic changes in the western hemisphere seem to be an insurmountable challenge, being an unacceptable attempt to change our way of teaching/thinking, our way of living/consuming and introducing risks of loss of goodwill for a few shareholders and patent holders.

Nevertheless, numerous signals suggest that these changes are possible today and will be implemented. The cost for our people will vary exponentially depending on the time it will take to make those changes: - The continued growth of our modern economies for the last seventy years slowed down dramatically during the last ten years advocating our leaders to borrow money in order to maintain the standard of living and consequently social peace but at the same time impoverishing their countries for decades to come if no more.

- International agreements have been signed by most countries giving free access anywhere in the world to money, people, goods etc. These agreements, associated with the rules in force have had positive return on the balance sheet of international groups and banks. They have initially increased the employment rate in the service sectors but also increased dramatically the deterioration of our environment, autonomy and mobility of billions of people.

- Today the Western service sector is endangered by the intellectual capability of people living in other parts of the world. As a consequence the unemployment level in the service sectors is reaching new highs and is increasing steadily.

- Numerous new statistical indexes have been built over the past 20 years more concerned by the quality of life than the quantities we consume.

- For instance, the Index of Economic Well-Being (IEWB) designed by Lars Osberg and Andrew Sharpe, although not perfected yet, could soon replace the GNP indicator which is less and less appealing to governments and political leaders facing a very low growth. The Sharpe index shows that while the UK’s GNP increased by 50% from 1980 to 1999 the IEWB decreased by 10% over the same period of time. In other words, the quality of life decreased drastically in the UK while the GNP increased by over half as in most countries !!!!

- The absenteeism rate in each election increased enormously over the last years - The police force per 1000 inhabitants is very high in our democracies, almost ten times higher than in China.

- In the case of Portugal, for example, the number of citizens (mostly educated) that emigrated reached 7% of the population in the last 10 years. This trend that affects many other western countries has to be compared with the huge number of Chinese highly educated and trained scholars that went back home during the same period.

- There is no more difference today between left wing and right wing government programs.

- The deficit of the Social Security in all Western countries is quite high and unsustainable and retirement plans are difficult to finance.

- Welfare State, low salaries for the majority of the people and employment regulations are such that large numbers of people prefer not to work or work without satisfaction.

- Governments subsidise (with tax payers’ money) water, electricity production, highways and give away control of all those investments to private companies instead of devolving them to the people of their country.

- Obesity/stress/drugs/absenteeism are some of the more obvious by-products

The above data clearly shows that the natural resources at our disposal do not match the needs of the people living on Earth. If we just consider for a moment that everyone on this

107

However and despite all these very well known facts above, our Western management model has not been harmonized according to the laws of thermodynamics that remains the exclusive field of our physicists. Our politicians and our governments never thought of introducing those laws as the framework to shape our civil society.

The inventory of our natural resources that is so dramatically needed has never been started with the exception of Canada.

planet is entitled to the same privileges we have (which is a fair assumption) life will truly and definitively become unsustainable on Earth. Keeping on with our western “civilized” model is pure suicide.

The fine-tuning to be done to the Western model should not become a threat but a wonderful opportunity, creating millions of new jobs, bringing value to the jobs most depreciated in our high tech societies and social stability.

This tuning has to be implemented by each citizen. When we look at the 3 countries referred to above Greece, Spain and Portugal we can assess that, until now and without exception, the quality of their civil society, in all areas, has levelled off leaving several hardships confronting them. But, today, this lively innate ability to adapt to difficult situations is not enough to meet future challenges and the different measures packaged in the different PEC, published and voted by their respective governments and parliaments won’t do any good (they are even dead before being born) . Their problem is not fighting for competitiveness but instead, evaluating what they have at home and making the best of it using the Earth and the sun as the new growth engine. Paul Krugman published in Foreign Affairs March/April 1994 volume 73 a text that should be advertised in each and every public building. “As for fear, it takes either a very courageous or very reckless economist to say publicly that a doctrine that many, perhaps most, of the world’s opinion leaders have embraced is flatly wrong. The insult is all the greater when many of those men and women think that by using the rhetoric of competitiveness they are demonstrating their sophistication about economics. This article may influence people, but it will not make many friends. Unfortunately, those economists who have hoped to appropriate the rhetoric of competitiveness for good economic policies have instead had their own credibility appropriated on behalf of bad ideas. And somebody has to point out when the emperor’s intellectual wardrobe isn’t all he thinks it is. So let’s start telling the truth: competitiveness is a meaningless word when applied to national economies. And the obsession with competitiveness is both wrong and dangerous.” Publishing in “Energy, Environment and Development” Professor José J. Delgado Domingos, IST, Lisbon, did a very thorough analysis that should also be studied in all schools and given to our politicians who should be granted long holidays until they fully understand its meaning and propose a righteous plan /design for our countries... “Sustainable development has to be looked from a global and integrated perspective or it will be doomed to fall into the contradictions among the excessive specializations. The conceptual structure that thermodynamics grants when applied to Earth as a thermodynamic system, to the living being as a conserver of energy and to the social and economic activities are a domain that can also be examined in terms of energy and information fluxes, where the fundamental physical principles are valid and applicable, open up a whole new world of possibilities. Portuguese scientific and engineering community has underestimated this concept of an integrated vision which, in fact, is the source for leadership and progress, finding justifications that discard too easily the specific aspirations that others may have envisioned.”

“If a company that overspends its capital goes bankrupt, what will the consequences be for a society that over dilapidates its natural resources? Economic growth has been synonym of accumulation of capital gathered by man, suggesting the idea that this capital will substitute for the natural capital, which are the Natural Resources; This, however, cannot happen!” “What we are talking about is the integration - of what science in its time was unaware - and of what, today’s science, is aware. Although, politicians and economists seem to want to discard in their continued ignorance of these facts.”

- This new approach could be orchestrated in the manner of a 10 years Marshall Plan. The plan, integrating clearly without restrictions, without fear, what natural resources each country has to live on. What is missing, what has to be improved quality and quantity wise such as air, water, agricultural production in order to lower our reliance on imports and improve the quality of our soils. Bringing back optimum biodiversity, energy, organizing the tax system in order to balance the pollution costs of all imported or exported products and making sure that all

109

As we can understand - there is only one course of action : - A collective course of action, which in our opinion, everyone is waiting for: integrating through a new systemic approach to social and economical challenges the principles of sustainable design.

decisions granted by any city, government or bank takes into account the environmental costs of its investments.

- The action would be swift and effective, allowing for a reconstruction of those countries very foundations. Fear is the price we pay for the unknown but all those issues are known. They only lack the required and full exposure, a precise agenda, precise control and reporting procedures. Some governments have already started working in this direction thanks to the European Institutions but they lack a simple “Grand Vision”. They need to design the path, articulate the project, redesign the educational programs train good healthy intelligent young citizens village by village, town by town, procure the seed money and then enjoy the energised action/ progress made by all citizens. Ultimately those decision makers will leave for long vacations coming back each month to control their achievements instead of increasing taxes, policing, editing restrictive laws and making promises that won’t be kept.

Frederic Coustols. May 2010

111

On a wider scale and over a period of 10 years ...

- Natural Resources are not being spread equally on Earth giving way to numerous conflicts so why not put in place a world fund to control those resources that would be split according to a equalization system (any country having access to those resources in proportion to their population).

- The technology to explore our natural resources is mostly down to private companies, for the benefit of a very few shareholders. Neither the structure of the ownership nor the split of the profits really matter as long as environmental costs would be covered exclusively by these companies.

- The production methods in use today do not integrate the knowledge we have not to harm our ecosystems.

- The statistical methods in use that drive all our actions are linked to quantities and not quality. - A double accounting system could be implemented until the new model is tried / tested and approved.

- Global information and trade has been global for centuries but is becoming untenable bringing millions of people into total dependency, destroying traditional culture, means of survival and also the biodiversity at large.

- Any type of goods have to get free market access which is a very clever way to improve the quality of life of everyone on earth but one condition should prevail. The impact of the imported goods on the country environment should be brought to zero through a simple tax system and consequently the taxes paid by the citizens should be reduced by the same net amount.

- Patents (the object of huge investments) are privately owned and tend to privatize all means of production and all natural assets cells/seeds/water/air etc.. But in the case of patents related to natural assets any rights granted to any company or private group should integrate exposure/costs for the environment and special Natural Assets Funds should be set up to offset all those costs. As for patents linked to air, water, energy, seeds, cells, these patents should belong to the world community. Change your boots and fly to the moon I believe China, considering it’s present economical and political structure, associated to its holistic way of looking at life could become the leading country for the shift required “If you realize that you have enough, You are truly rich” Tao Te Ching 33

113

de si g n a s us ta i na bl e to mo r r o w

DaST

DaST project in Jiu Xian Jiu Xian Garden Village DaST’s proposition, in Jiu Xian rural village located in the southern part of China is to integrate through a new systemic approach to social, economical and environmental challenges, the principles of sustainable design. i.e. dealing with the life cycle management process, meaning that DaST team is addressing all questions linked to policy in regard of what we know about the Sciences of the Earth, the Human fundamental Needs, the necessity to share the natural resources and knowledge all mingled within the Cultural and Historical background of this old Ming village and its surroundings DaST has designed a compass to help understanding its purpose.

117

In order to share more knowledge it has been decided that the Jiu Xian Garden Village project would be done through workshops open to the best students in Architecture and Landscape of the South China University of Technology in Guangzhou and associate the local population.

The workshops intend to confront the students frontally to sustainable issues / reality / the rural Chinese world/National Heritage/ conservation/ restoration.

The decision to work with the local population came from the understanding that : “ Jiu Xian Garden Village “ would become a success if they handled the project as their own.

We dedicated our first year to a global inventory and found that Jiu Xian was managed in an almost far more advanced sustainable way than the best existing projects but using very little access to high technologies. Meaning that Jiu Xian in its present structure had a really limited possibility to go forward within the to-day rules leading all processes.

- Production structure All productive natural assets in Jiu Xian are divided by the number of inhabitants. Each inhabitant has been granted by the state (at the beginning of the second half of the 20th century) a leasehold on a pièce of arable land of 1 mu (667m2)on which they produce either 2 crops of rice a year or fruits, plus grass and vegetables on the borders. Nutrients for the soils come mainly from the manure of the cattle, rice straw and oysters shells. Each family was granted ,as an average, a pond of approximately 100sqm to breed fishes for one very nice meal a week. Fish are fed with the grass from the paddy fields. Each family breeds also 1 pig or 2, a few chickens and ducks for the meat and the eggs and a buffalo for working the fields. All cooking wastes are reused to feed the animals or nurture the land. The irrigation system is very efficient and the water fairly shared.

Collective land (3000 mus of non arable land) provides wood for cooking purposes and all the medicinal plants needed to cure most of the illness plus added pastures for goats the Yulong river that crosses the land of the different communities is used as a touristic waterway and the profit are split between the villages according to the length of the river crossing their land and then, shared between the inhabitants of each village, in equal parts. As a result of this clever management process the biodiversity is respected and each family produces twice their vital needs. Surpluses are sold to the markets nearby to buy clothes, little tools and all the traditional products they need for their celebrations. But the information and dreams provided by the TV channels or by travelling to the nearby big cities Yangshuo, Guilin, Nanning, make them wish a different type of life. They just see their income 300 euros per year compared to the average one in the cities 1200 to 3000 Euros without understanding the pressure and all costs associated to it.

They neither perceive the quality of their life and the huge freedom they benefit, nor the importance of their work and knowledge (feeding the big cities, keeping the soils and the biodiversity in good shape, absorbing lots of co2, aso). Nobody helped them understand the changes the model needed.

- move from quantity to quality - a fair balance between rural population weight/% of GNP - Keeping the soils fertility - keeping and increasing biodiversity - offsetting cities co2 emissions -securing Chinese food independence -keeping the water clean

The design of each house modern or old is the same.

The husband of a new couple must follow his wife and live under her family’s roof. If the new husband or the new wife is coming from another village and if there are more arable land available they will be granted one « mu » as for the other members of the community, same thing for the newly born on the contrary, if there is not enough arable land they will have to find a job else where or create a new activity in the village. Here again they believe it’s easier to live in big cities

119

- Family organization ` The family organisation is very simple (originate from the Confucianism) the oldest man in the family rules. The youngest help the oldest as soon as these are unable to provide for their needs.

The girls stay in their family all their life even when married. All different generations of one family live under the same roof. And help each other.

create links and value between Landscape, Architectural Heritage, traditional activities and social habits while introducing a sustainable contemporary way of life.

for privacy reasons, not understanding that the way they live in the village is truly sustainable.

- Political organization The political organisation is also an astounding example of shared responsibility. In the case of Jiu Xian, 1250 inhabitants, there are 15 districts. Each district is a specific and geographical unit of production. Each district elects every 4 years a representative. Once elected, the new Council will decide who is going to be in charge of the finance, the education , the roads , the natality, also.

At that stage the members of the council have to be approved by the communist party (which, usually, they are). The communist party also has an office and 1 or 2 non elected representative in jiu Xian. Any problem/question arising is always settled, fast, in a peaceful way, during a meeting or several ones that may last hours. The objective being to keep the harmony within the community. We happened to have some difficult problems at different times and they all have been solved, the same day or the following days in a nice and fair way.

- Education Jiu Xian has a school for kids aged 4 to 14. 265 students learn Chinese mandarin and everything that is requested by the authorities (as in all other countries), except the real meaning of rural life, a real luxury today and an absolute need to keep countries alive and prosperous on the long term the result being that the younger population has just one wish, leave the village and find a better paid job anywhere else.

- Health In the village almost everyone knows the proprieties of the medicinal plants and has a fair knowledge of the TCM principles. The food is very healthy and participate entirely in keeping the population in good shape. Almost every one knows how to do massages and baths, and, if not, their neighbours will know and help.

Frederic P. Coustols - DaST April15th 2010

121

At the end of this short and limited inventory the questions that arise are very simple and awfully complex at the same time.

- How to keep the best things and bring some new operative methods?

- How to keep the population at work with the vision of their noble and vital role?

- How to increase their income and life conditions while increasing the biodiversity, the quality of soils and waters what a lucky challenge for the DaST team?

125

129

I’m Wang Xi. As a regular Chinese college girl, who loves art and design, this one month in Jiuxian tasted like a full box of chocolates with all kinds of flavours. It was my second visit to the Guilin region where Jiuxian was built a very long time ago in an area world famous for its Karst landform. For a Chinese, dreaming of rivers and mountains, Guilin comes to mind as well as Jiu Xian and Yangshuo. Before coming for the first time to Jiu Xian last summer I had seen tons of pictures of Guilin throughout my life, but was still thrilled by the amazing landscape I was immersing myself in. So this being the second time I came to Jiuxian, I felt humble and curious but full of energy and ready to work.

131

Impressions on the Jiu Xian Garden Village project Having known for a long time about the partnership between our school (South China University of Technology) and Frederic Coustols’ Design a Sustainable Tomorrow (DaST), to develop the Jiu Xian Garden Village project, I was curious to see what was actually going on there. The mountains and rivers in Jiuxian are such rich natural heritage that, standing among them, my only option was to feel humbled and I could not envision how to work on landscape and architecture designs in those valleys.

To be honest, I used to wonder what the original intention of this Project was ? I mean, the commercial value of Jiuxian village is not hard to understand, and the income of the project will definitely be good for local people in a long term perspective, but a few questions had once crept in my mind. For example, why did Dast wanted to cooperate with schools of architecture working with students lacking practical experience and having not enough time to work on the site? Why did DaST insist on hiring local people to work on the construction even though they were asking for salary increases all the time and not all of them being even good workers. Why didn’t Dast simply run this project as a commercial one from the beginning – it would have been much easier from a legal and economical viewpoint?

However, after a month spent in Jiuxian, working with the workers and observing everything happening there, I began to realize how this project was run and the outcome all of this work may have. “ Think global, Act local “, was the philosophy behind the project and I felt at peace and full of happiness.

I remember the last day of the Residence, Frederic gave a short speech in which he made a casual reference to the students’ work and how it really helped to keep the costs of the constructions at the same level as newly built ones, and he appreciated that. Although I’ve heard Frederic and Maria talking about how much they like working with students (excuse for my discourtesy) but I still wondered whether saving costs was the real reason why Dast decided to cooperate with schools and organize so many workshops with students looking for the opportunity to gain experience for free. However, after analyzing the whole process from another perspective, counting the travelling expenses, lodging costs and time it took for students to learn how to do things on site well, the total cost was not cheap at all compared to the cost of hiring a design company. Thus I have to admit that they really loved working with and coaching students.

But, for example, why do we students lack practical experience, why can’t we organize our own work with enough consideration, we may make unprofessional mistakes in the team and so on. The answer is that we’ve acted like kids in school, our school work has often been purely conceptual lacking common sense. But without practical experience we’ll never know what the so-called common sense looks like ? We may wander in a fantasy cloud during all our college life only to fall straight onto the hard ground of the real world.

In my point of view, the opportunity Dast offered the students is much more than practical, it is a hands-on chance to face reality because here in Jiu Xian our workshops have nothing to do with the usual internship we take on.

At a Design-company we are asked to follow the steps of the project manager, which is normal. In Jiuxian, Frederic and Maria take our work and our ideas seriously. They listen, discuss, support, encourage and help our concepts until they become a reality. When there are compliments to be had for the works, they always say “ the students and the villagers did it ! “, I don’t know how to describe how their way of talking, working and their organization process inspired me. They act in such a way that things go forwards smoothly and I can’t imagine any better way to carry out this project as one of a long term practical course on sustainable principles. Once we have set up a good cooperating tradition and as long as the project runs, the circle of trust will be more and more virtuous.

Some considerations about working and living in the village Once we became familiar with the villagers, rumours in the village also came into our ears, and frankly, I have to admit that sometimes it is actually a shortcut to quickly understand the folkway of a place. There were so many rumours about the project, it is interesting to sum them up and study what are the villagers’ view-points. For example, at the beginning when they knew Frederic was going to rent a piece of land and built houses, some people grew plants instantly to ask for compensation. After the construction began, and knowing that Frederic would only hire local people, some of the workers began to ask increases of salary, without producing a better work. Then some other villagers began to complain that some workers did not comply their duty properly, but Frederic didn’t notice.

Today knowing that Frederic’s work will bring more and more tourists to the village, some people realized that Frederic was doing good for Jiuxian, but still some villagers ignoring the long term, just wanted to cash on now which had the effect of blocking the development of Jiuxian. The villagers were constantly impressed by the kindness of Frederic and Maria, when this couple gave donation to the primary school, bought younger kids paper, pencils paintings and toys, shared their meals with the workers at the completion of each new house.

It seems that, Frederic, the French man, is gradually becoming a part of their lives. More and more local people begin to identify themselves with things they have done in their village. Seeing how beautiful the constructions done in End of February are, the workers became very happy. I always believe that besides the money for living, people always want to work for bigger reason, to satisfy one’s pride, to earn respect from others. It is such a great opportunity for the local people finding a job that could ensure the money for living, and, at the same time, help them with self-improvements.

Up to now, the project got a win-win effect; -the students got the experimental practice, having to face reality, the rural Chinese world. -The workers got money and pride, -The villagers got the rent of the land and equity in the cooperative that was set up .

However, it has already been 2 years and a half since the project began, and it is still not fully built and not open to the public yet, consequently there is still no return on investment. But as everyone knows nowadays in China, a project this size can be designed and built up probably in less than 2 years, bringing profits the same year. Thus, at least for me, the way Jiuxian Old Village project walking on is absolutely a road less people travelled, which I‘ve never seen in China before. Even though there is no doubt that each project needs to make profit to ensure the running, but which way might carry out a higher value in long term? Although all roads leads to Rome, and everyone has a different standard, but there still got universal values about cultural heritage.

Some times when we go back though the whole thing it’s just became quite ordinance

The work I’ve done during the Artists in Residence in Jiuxian On the first day I arrived, I was so surprised. Frederic asked me to organize a fashion show as a closure event for the Residence. There were only two weeks left. I never expected to be given such a project to handle. This was totally new for me. But as I already had some experience of the theatre world and loved it, I instantly became excited and started thinking/working right away.

There were 15 garments designed specifically for Jiuxian Garden Village, 9 for women and 6 for men, the design team was made up of the students and teachers from Guangzhou Academy of Fine Art last summer. The garments were made of local and natural fabrics, cotton and linen, and fitted the Chinese Ming style. The fashion show was planned for the last day of the Artists in Residence, the public and the villagers would vote for their favourites and the chosen ones would become the Jiuxian Garden Village costumes.

Frederic suggested the models for the show should be selected within the Jiuxian community, the performance should be as natural as it could be. The music a composition written specially by Duma Siran for a Guqin. The site for the fashion show was to be the house of the Artists on the site of End of February, which was still under construction.

The house of Chinese old traditional style, with a wooden structure a double sloppingroof, symmetrical along the midline, a strait stair right in the middle of the house , two floors, and a corridor running through the ground floor. Because of the symmetrical layout of the house, it was kind of hard to find a place large enough in the house for people to get together and watch the show, so I came up with the concept of using the house as the scene for the show, and add a T-stage right in front of the gate in the middle of the house, as an extent of the stair , and let the audience stay outside Then maybe during the traditional cat-walk , we could develop some more scenariis inside the building,, recreating ambiances to be found in everyday life in Jiuxian. Even if I thought that I’ve got a perfect plan, I started to realize there were a few questions that might affect the concept . The first one was about the models, it seemed everyone of them were too shy to show up in front of the crowd, to say nothing about performing scenariis and cat-walking. As a result, reducing the difficulty of the performance would be quite necessary. Then, I happened to found that the electric power at the End of February was not steady, and the show might be on after dark, the effect of the performance wouldn’t be good if the audience couldn’t see the garments clearly. To solve both questions, I came up with the idea that inspired the opening night of the Artists in Residence, when the local comedy performer hang up a curtain while changing their costumes, the shadows shows on the curtain. We could use shadows to kill both birds. If we could hang the curtain up from ceiling to the floor in each room, then the audience won’t see what is actually going on in the room in case there was something fl y into, and we give light in each room, then only those shadows of the models moving would be nice enough to watch. And we could also make some static shadows that could represent Chinese culture, I chose four of them, playing instrument, playing chess, doing calligraphy and Chinese painting.

135

clearly in front of our eyes. I think the project Jiuxian Old Village first time shows me that there seems do have ways to design a sustainable tomorrow and put it into practice, not only a stunt in the concept. In this project, they set good examples for us to understand sustainability. To cooperate with a school provide possibility to continue the studying and experimental practice on sustainable design year after year ,even with the ideas and work former students have done, new ones in school will never lack the creativity. To insist on getting local people participate in the project, and makes the project local enough to build a relation emotionally identify it as their own possession, which would help the protection of the whole project for long term. To only hiring local construction workers, which not only makes them feel doing the housing of their own, but also ensure that the workmanship and art crafting could be carried on to the next generation.

The whole Jiuxian project can be a lively book for me to learn, in design practice, communicating skills, Chinese traditional folkway, Chinese social reality, and so on. Each can be a case study. Thus you can imagine how much it means to me. I really appreciate this opportunity.

Since the music for the show would be played lively by Duma Siran our talented young Guqin musician, she could definitely be one of our beautiful static shadow of “playing instrument” when playing the Guqin. In the following days, we did our best to get everything ready for the show. And I have to thank a lot of people who always helped me overcome those difficulties. Without their help and inspiration, the show could never be put on this well. I’m proud of all of you.

Fredric, thank you for trusting me this much, even though I still don’t know why. Thank you for encouraging me and trusting my ability to develop my original concept and giving me so much support. You never said “No, it won’t work”, but “Ok, let’s do it.” Thanks to Denis and Nicolas, I know it took you plenty of time recording Duma’s songs and tuning the record, even though Denis was not in good health by then. I was so impressed by your professional spirit, I deeply respected. Thank you Michel for helping me so much on site. It was your idea to use bamboos to strengthen the curtains instead of wood, which really brought a sense of lightness Now everyone loves to see the cotton curtains with their bamboos flying with the wind in End of February. Thank you also Michel for painting the masks on the models, which really added drama to the show. And thank you to all of you who helped building the scene. I was so impressed by how energetic and accommodating you all were. I’ ll never forget how many times you left your painting and came downstairs, saying:” I have ten minutes, what can I do for you?”

And Marina, your magnanimity touched me deeply. I’ll never forget how insane I was to cut the bamboos you had selected for your sculpture , I feel so ashamed everytime I think about it. Even if you probably wanted to kill me, you saw me having troubles using the cutting machine, you offered your help and cut all the bamboos for me, (of course not the bamboos of Marina’s work). I never thought you got such a kind heart. And later when I watched you teaching those kids in the primary school with all the grace and patience, I realized that I must have been just a crazy kid in your eyes.

Tim, thanks for commending me at times when I build up the scene on site, which really encouraged me under the pressure of time. And the big hug after the fashion show comforted me with all the intensity of the work, thank you. Thanks to Duma, who gave a lot of time practising the songs for the show, while the weather was freezing your hands.

Thanks for giving us such a wonderful performance for the show. Your beautiful shadow is printed on my mind forever.

Thanks Dao Gang for helping me discovering the high school girl Mao Xiuqin in the village, who brought all her classmates to become our models. They all acted wonderfully all along the show, considering the few hours they had to rehearse. Thanks Mr Huang the carpenter helping me building-up the T-stage. Thanks the Jiu Xian ladies working at End of February, for helping me hanging up those cotton curtains, and cleaning the house just in time for the show. Thanks to Mr Mao the carpenter working in the Tea-house and Little monkey the real smart boy carrying those chairs and Ming tables to the show site.

Thanks to my classmates, Sissi, Yivi, Lizzie, for helping me all along the fashion show. And Qianqian, for helping me carrying back the furniture to Maria’s house.

Thanks to all of the people who came to watch the show, I can’t say how happy I have been seeing you enjoyed the show. That night, with all those candelabra sparkling in the dark, tracing the path from the village to the End of February, I knew that this was the moment I never wanna loose in my life.

WangXi On May 6th, 2010. Guangzhou,China

My name is Zhang Weiqi, I am a graduating student from South China University of Technology.

My major is Landscape Architecture. I fully participated in the Land Art event including some preparatory work.

Almost everything was new for me, the form and content of the activity, the participants (all of them artists from Europe coming from a totally different culture and background) and spending a whole month in a village far away from the vibrant cities. We students played a role as volunteers helping artists complete their masterpieces and outsourcing materials, skills and linking the village community to the residence.

This experience in Jiuxian impressed me very much. The most important thing is that artists’ ideas nourished my “inspiration storeroom” which means a lot to my major study.

After that activity I went back to school to continue my design work. I found that some of the ideas generated in my mind were actually affected by the artists. For example, Sara’s “Mudath” lends a totally new perspective to viewing the hill. It is modest not conspicuous but it is significant. In my design I am considering showing people an unusual perspective on things - they may be surprised by my unusual view of the world.

Some artists were very skillful. Michel was the oldest one and he had the best practical skills. He could master almost all kinds of tools. I think he could also be a good carpenter.

The experience of helping him with his work let me learn new skills and practical common sense which are also very important traits for artists because artwork is not simply an image in mind, it needs to be turned into reality. Practical hands-on ability is necessary for all of us. One thing impressed me a lot is that he used red soil and charcoal to make red and gray color to paint with which are organic materials easily found in the village.

One month is a long time. We worked and ate together every day and became familiar with each other and bridge of friendship was gradually built up among us. The humor sense and positive attitude of the artists affected us. They were all kind-hearted and one night in the hotel Marina, Filipa and I talked, looked at photos and had a philosophical chat. I was feeling so good at that moment as if we were not of different races, not artists or students but we were sisters. Although during this discussion I also became aware of my limitations.

Sometimes when I had to face a problem alone I felt a little scared because I saw my lack of experience. Sometimes I was also not considerate enough - for example the bath water in Filipa’s room was not good for a long time. I want to say sorry to her for my carelessness and I will try and make progress in the future.

Zhang Weiqi May 2010

137

I want to thank each artist Marina, Filipa, Sara, Michel, Rui, Tim, Vasco, Denis, Maria Duma Siran and Goncalo, Artur and Tattoo. I want to thank Frederic for hosting this event. He made a meaningful contribution to the village and provided us with good practical opportunities. Maria has ever encouraged me sincerely, with her kind words and by mail, those words means a lot to me and I will always remember them in my heart. I am full of gratitude to all of them and I hope each of them has a wonderful life! And don’t forget me —— Sissi

Time goes fast, I have been away from Jiuxian for five months now but the moments I spent in Jiuxan with all the artists, the villagers, Frederic’s team, the workers and the schoolmates are still very clear in my mind. I am so proud that I could participate in this great Artists in Residence workshop. Everyone’s kindness, humour and enthusiasm stays in my mind and I know it will be there forever. Today I would like to write something about this great workshop, write some words to all the people I met in Jiuxian.

Frederic, you are a kind man and I know all the people who worked with you were very very happy, I always saw the smile shined on your face, it made me feel warm. And I have to say thanks for the joke you made with my poor English, because that forced me to learn and make progress ...

Maria, I admire your special insight with nature and I know you are also a great mother, a kind person because I saw the happiness when you helped the Chinese kids to read the books. Gonçalo you are a gentleman - I admire your hard work and your coaching ability with the artists - I learned a lot from you.

Michel, you are a great painter and your drawings, paintings and sculptures are fantastic. You are also a real gentleman although sometimes you liked behaving like a bad boy. Denis, our great film director - I like your movie and I admire your ability to express a common topic your own way which is unparalleled.

Rui, our funny architect - your crazy behavior brought a lot of fun to all of us and the photos you shot are amazing. Tim, I’m so proud that I met a great architect like you, I learned a lot from your work and your love of family. I will never forget that day we picked up the broken china together and the words you told me about life.

Filipa, your hard work, your dedication to the arts moved me. I’ll never forget the tears in your beautiful face when you were leaving at the airport.

Marina, you really have an adorable face and amazing bright eyes which can fascinate everyone - I admired your hard work and the courage you have to face difficulty.

Vasco, your enthusiasm for art and your healthy way of life shocked me. I appreciate that you took care of me like an elder brother. Thanks for the moving moments we spent together. It has been carved in my heart.

Sara, your smile like sunshine warmed everyone’s heart which I’ll never forget and I was gratified by your deep love for Traditional Chinese Culture.

Duma, you are like an angel, you are young and intelligent your beautiful music reverberated around the mountain and moved everyone.

Artur, Raquel, Joanna, thank you for spreading the Chinese Culture abroad. Nicolas, Yang thank you for the great help in Jiuxian. Tattoo, Vasco, Maya, Marta, Qiulan, your coming brought more happy hours, it meant a lot for us.

The villagers in Jiuxian, maybe you still don’t really understand why this group of people come here from all over the world and do a lot of things here just for protecting and restoring the Jiuxian Culture. You didn’t ask for any reward but your passion of Jiuxian and your enthusiasm of participating in this great job was be appreciated. That was the very reason why we came here.

The schoolmates who came from South China University of Technology, I am so happy our friendship will be more profound after our time in Artist Residence.

Thanks for the happy days and moving moments we spent together in Jiuxian and even for the simplest moments we have gone through. The Artist Residence means a lot for me, it’s one of the most memorable experiences in my life and I believe the spirit of The Artist Residence’s cooperation, fusion, imagination will be alive in everyone’s heart.

ChenYiwei 2010-4-28

139

Lisbon | Palácio Belmonte

www.palaciobelmonte.com lat = 38°42’44.61”N | lon = 9° 7’54.12”W

Portugal

France | Castelnau des Fieumarcon www.gascony.org lat = 43°45’17.17”N | lon = 0°20’49.92”E

France

Over the last four years WOA and DaST have joined forces with the owners of four very special properties in order to develop a new model for artist residencies and workshops - linking artists, local populations and university students and professors.

The owners opened their estates and offered accommodation and food, fun and inner knowledge, as well as access to the cultural backgrounds of their regions for a minimum of one month per year. The research studies concluded during the workshops and residencies are intended to emphasise not only the estates’ environmental and economic sustainability, but also their cultural profile - to bring multicultural ‘fresh air’ and new perceptions of the surrounding landscapes, while adding artistic insight and improving economic input to the community.

During those last 4 years WOA and DaST organized 27 residences for artists and workshops at the 4 sites: Palacio Belmonte in Lisbon Portugal, Castelnau des Fieumarcon in Gascony France, Château de Padiès near Toulouse, France, and Jiu Xian Village in Guangzi Province China.

France | Chateau de Padies

www.padies.com lat = 43°31’7.13”N | long = 2° 3’25.33”E

China | Jiu Xian

www.chinalandmarks.com lat = 40°13’30.49”N | lon = 116°11’27.77”E

China France

design Marcelo Vaz collaboration Angela Bello . Artur Cintra . Bruno Marques . Chen Yiwei . Filipa Silveira . João Erse . Luísa Ferreira da Costa Maria Mendonça Coustols . Marina Carvalho . Marta Alvim . Rui Pinto Gonçalves . Sara Yan . Tim Madeira Vasco Luz . Wang Xi . Zhang Weiqi photography a special thanks to Rui Pinto Gonçalves, for the majority of the photography content, and Maria Mendonça Coustols

Thanks to all the DaSTERS and their supporters, with special thanks to : Geping Bao . Feng Shu . Che Peping . Chen Yi Wei . Chen Yiping . Apple Wan Chen . Catherine Bouat . Bill Chen . Kevan Cheng . Coco Liu . Guy Quesseveur . Dominique Colliot . Luc Vincent . Haitong Zhu . Jenny Chu . Lier . Lin Chunhua . Lynn Guan . Michel Bouchet . Qin Jian Ming . Sandiamano . Simon S.Q. . Wu . Yves Dauge . Eva Lin . Francois Vignaux . Nicolas Corboz . Bruno Cot . Weng Da Da . Fat . Feng Jiang . Gao Wei . Jiang Gehry . Shaoping Guan . Han Dequan . He Tian Tian .

Huang Hongbo . Zhao Hui . Jia Yun . Laogen Farmers . Lee Ziruo . Li Bo . Li Ming Zheng . Li Wendy . Ann Li Liao . Lin Ying Hao . Liu Daogang . Liu Zouhang Wang . Zhao bi Long . Shouyun Lu . Luo Lijun . Maoeraichiyu . Qiu Nian . Qiu Lan . Odar .

Shi Hongjian . Su Yi . Sue . Tina . Wan Wan Tingting . Dixie Wang Guanyu . Wang Sirph . Yu Ki Wang Yuying . Wang Wei Jun . Weiqing Liu . Wu Hun . Captain Wu Jianzhao . Nenuphar Wu Jiawei . Wu Wu Juanyu . Xu Ven Na . Qian Yang . Yang Seng .

Joyce Yang Zhuosi . Yang Yangyang . Gaston Ye Ziteng . David Yu . Xiaoxiao Zang . Sissi Zhang . Swordman Zhang Xueyuan . Hugo Zhang Xun . Jane Zhao Zheng . Shi Zhenyu . Yiming Deng . Hao Hu . Yun Jia . Xiaoyun Jian . Jing ning . Wanyan Peng . Li Tang . Liuzhuang Wang . Qing Wang . Rong Yi . Yan Xue . Virginie Zehr . Zelda Perkins . Yvette Durand . Yara Kes .

Isabelle van Passel . Ebehard Wistuba . Bettina Winterfeld . Gully Wells . Ralph Watson . Virginie Henaff . Sophie Capot-Rey . Sandy Dhuyvetter . Lulu Townsend . Lionel Tardif . Tara Mandy . Studio Architecture Miami Adib Cure . Jon Steinberg .

Aline Spagnoli . Sophie Roberts . Susan Herrick-Luraschi . Sarah Spankie . Sarah Sheridan . Rose Sheperd . Gwen Robinson . Robert B. Bradfield . Reena Bhoyroo . Reiner Weichert . Tony Smith . Peter Wise . Carie A. Penabad . Serry Osmena . Naomi Skinner . George H. Muller . Igor Miksch . Mikael and Nadine Hudson . Ian Hamlinton . Mao’s brothers . Helder Metello de Napoles . Jaclyn McNutt . Todd Maurer . Maryse Vassalo . George Martin . Christine Callet-Fanjaud . Marcel Marette .

Christian and Cynthia de Monbrison . Guy de Casteja . Malik Si-Hassen . Luis Soveral . Lucy Perceval . Louise Mc Elvogue .

Kunz Lebensart-ag . David Kaufman . Lisa Johnson . Jerome Dupuis . Jane Knight . Emma Hemmings . Liz Hasell . Sabrina de Bree . Alexandra Harnden . Natacha Penot . James Greyson . Gracie Cavnar . Eric Goraieb . Rupert Eden . Gary Chang . Michel Debord . France David . Claire Delbos . Christine Banksz . Yves Dauge . Lynn Guan . Christina Querol Carceller .

Pascale Darre . Melillo Giuseppe . Jacqueline Bissat . Clare Beresford . Silvia Veira . Judy Bill Carson . Raquel Carilho . Carlos Cezanne . Milu Cachat . Bruce Mau . Emmanuel Bourgeois . Bernard Bonnamour . The Seed Saver’s Network . Sonia Wong Wong . Marie Odile Sejeau . Paula Cadima . Jose Carlos . Patrícia Westheimer . João Erse . Prof Fernando Nunes da Silva .

Prof Manuel Guedes . Prof Bao Geping . Luís Araújo . Joana Saboeira . Luís Pimentel . Luisa Videira . Luís Machado . Philippe Gendre . Rita Ortiz . Pierre Landre . Jean Landre . Pascal Landre . Sgouyun Lu . Bruno Cot . Li [head of Baixa Community]

a gra deci mento s _ s p eci a l t h a nk s

editors Gonçalo Leandro Frederic Coustols

143

project WOA - Way of Arts DaST - Design a Sustainable Tomorrow

Um agradecimento muito especial Ă Delta pela forma entusiĂĄstica como tem apoiado a Way of Arts na sua Caminhada...

A landscape is a state of emotion.

Earth and stone, Guanying Mountain.