From the symbolic and actual value of the land it is born an intervention that emphasises the community sense of the threshing-floor [eira]. Its aggregating character – that brings the community together around an activity of common interest – is revisited by providing it with the skills that allow it to remain current and active. An experiential installation is set trough the idea of a ceiling [tecto]: due to its unifying character, this architectonic element proves to be pertinent in shaping of a will of togetherness and involvement on a common space.
On the other hand, it was meant to face the land as a naturally productive element: it has provided food, subsistence; it provides references, connections, acknowledgments – it provides identity. The intervention was built under these premises. With minimal contact with the ground, the supporting structure was based on generic, easy to find and multipurpose elements: two scaffolding lines, neutral, sustained multiple layers of a permeable and always alive covering. The focus was set on this space in between ground and ceiling, that is, in the spatial situations it creates – by creating a ceiling, we have come to own a floor. The direction of the installation – perpendicularly to the stage, creating dynamic views – assures a visual permeability that emphasizes, already from the street, the relation to the music concerts. In that way, unifying lines were created between all the elements that shape the venue – a square was made. In its turn, the introduced volumetric variations provide this space with particular and remarkable experiences. Complementary scenarios are added to the area by the stage; the area between stage and installation, united by the natural olive tree colonnade, embodies the urban configuration of the Cem Soldos village. The interventions main element and work matter is the potato bag. A common, primitive material is transferred from its everyday context to an artistic, interventional and critical sphere. Through the plastic properties it provides – lightness, colour, shine, transparency – the symbolic pertinence of the land is raised to an upper stage: it is a popular party ribbon and a flag, without ceasing to be a potato bag. The lighting followed the same principles and refers to the traditional street celebrations. Through simple light bulb lines installed along the ceiling, in between the bags, a festive though discreet atmosphere was created. By day and by night, the intervention worked as a filter, an interactive light and shadow cloud, embodying the dynamics of the place and of its visitants. This installation highlighted local values, combining the iconic and material powers of the chosen elements in order to, with minimal intervention, with minimal ground impact, achieve the maximal potential of the space – from the inside out as from the outside in. To those wandering the streets, it served as visual reference, marking the venue entrance and framing the stage. To those already inside, it allowed a more comfortable relation with the ground and the weather and offered the audience new possibilities for enjoying the concerts and other festival activities. The ceiling was made out of successive vertical strips – modulated by the dimension of the bags – with variable length, suspended from the cable mesh fastened to the scaffoldings. Hence, different spatial relations were provided to the audience, responding to the physical reality of the ground as much as to the action of the wind, now made visible. That is what it was all about: boosting the natural and responsive soil of this place as gathering point, creating sensitive spaces that evoke the local spirit. The sewing of the bags, to each other and to the lines that formed each layer, was done by dozens of volunteers from Cem Soldos and its surroundings whom, together with another bunch from all over the country, also helped in lifting them to the structure. The two scaffolding lines, anchored to the ground, established the aesthetic and conceptual connection between the village and the festival, that is to say, between the natural Cem Soldos’ environment and the inevitable industrial side brought in by all the stages structures. Another important element was the presence of the beverage selling spaces, integrated in the structure itself. The ground level of the scaffolding on the edge of the venue was thus filled with these services, allowing the other scaffolding – related to the entrance – to remain visually permeable in all its extension, providing a balanced composition. Keeping the installation’s material identity, this programmatic area was coated on the inside with corrugated metal sheet, using the scaffolding boards to make the counters. The lighting of this space followed the same principles of the ceiling, creating a cohesive ambience between all the elements. The technical needs for the assembling were considered, based on modular construction systems and simple fixation. Occupying around 40 m2 of land it was created an installation that reached almost 300 m2 of living space. Special thanks: Marta Pereira, José Tomás Gonçalves, Bruno Cartaxo and all the volunteers. |