|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
Artists in residenceOBRAS is a Portuguese word and means “work in progress”. General aim of Foundation OBRAS is to provide all space, service, peace and hospitality necessary for effective working on art and science. The contact with the surrounding landscape and culture may provide additional inspiration. Artists and scientists with (emerging) professional standing are eligible for residence. Disciplines include visual arts, architecture, music composition, film/video, writing, dance, drama and science. The Herdade consists of eight double-bed apartments, two cottages, several artist's studios and a music hall with piano. A swimming pool is located on a remote spot hundred meter from the house. OBRAS is in operation since 2003 and most of its activities take place in the Herdade da Marmeleira in Evoramonte. Some 80 artists and 3 scientists had a residence. The center in open the whole year round, but OBRAS intends to have some concentration of residents in April, June and September. In these months there are no guests other then artists. And we can plan, together with the artists, meetings, performances and other small scale activities. You are welcome to apply for other months as well. Do not hesitate to contact us for more information. In April the day temperature is already pleasant (17-25 oC) and vegetation is starting to flower abundantly, but nights can be chilly and there is some change of rain. Days in June and September are warm (25-35 oC) with very little change of rain. And vegetation is in summer rest.
OBRAS co-operates with organizations in Portugal and abroad. If required, OBRAS advises and assists in networking with the art community in Portugal.
Since the opening in 2003 some 80 artists and 3 scientists from 18 countries had a residence up to three months. More information on Accommodation, Duration of residencies, Fees etc era is in the application form. Deadline for submission of applications for a residency in in June 2009 is on 15 December 2008.
An impression of artists in residence: In August 2008 Marchall Crossman (Visual artist, USA) made a large number of paintings. While is a model painter she was so intrigued the landscape that she painted a beautiful series of tree scapes. In August Dan Scott and Trish Cunning worked on an installation inspired by marble quarries and the sound of marble. In June Anne MacMahon came back for the third time; in this case to prepare her prestigious photo exhibition: Immortal life, Also in June a group exhibition was organized Claustro town hall Estremoz for the artists in residence of that month: Janice Fuller (USA), Babette Werth ( Germany), Helga Eibl (Austria), Anne Mc Mahon (Ireland), Katalin and Istvan Nagy (Hungary), Jee Won Kim (Korea), Janet Pierce (Ireland), Patricia Loucks (Canada), Sally Stafford (UK) and Fritska van Dorsten (Netherlands). For more info on exhibitions and events by these artists: see below on this page. In January the Australian video artist : Adam Ceczki, was with us. He got a show in the Convento São Francisco in Montemor. Tiago Froís was the producer. He also gave an impressive lecture on the art academy of Évora. Also in January the Dutch writer and visual artist Nicole van Schaijck was working on her book (on language education) and on portraits of trees. In December the American visual artist Susanna Mira collected inspiration for her architecture project. Iris Haeck (writer; The Netherlands) wrote a several chapters for her book on a spiritual journey. Ljiljana Maletin-Vojvodic (writer, photographer; Serbia) worked on a novel that talks about fiction and non-fiction events taking place on the Herdade da Marmeleira. The events are the carrier of an analysis of differences in culture, people, art and nature. Dragan Vojvodic (visual artist; Serbia) made life size mosaics of his body with materials that he found in the landscape: cork, marble and red earth. He refers in several manners to visual art, poetry and Greek mythology. He exhibited on public places, both in urban and rural areas: the Sertório square and town hall in Évora, an abandoned quarry in Borba and on several locations around the Monte de Marmeleira. His work was well received by press and public. Carla Ribeira (dancer, choreographer; Portugal) granted us a short but wonderful show in the scope of her workshop on contemporary dance. On the terrace of the music hall, in completely dark except one spot light her dance seemed to fill the universe. Anne Mc Mahon (art photographer; Ireland) shot images at dusk of little branches with a deep cobalt blue sky in the background. They remind to Japanese calligraphies. In April they have been exhibited on the outer walls of Celeiros, a Cultural Centre in Évora. Another exhibition, dedicated to images of olive trees with an age of more than 1000 years was in May 2008. In February the editing took place of the video shooting of site-specific dances performed in September 2007 under the guidance of the Australian choreographer Karen Kerkhoven. One dance was performed in a sculpture garden in Évora and another in a abandoned marble quarry in Estremoz. These were magical happenings. Sally Stafford (painter; UK) made intimate exposition in our Patio of the work that she produced during her residency. A Second exhibition took place in July August 2008 in Cultural Café Ate Jazz in Estremoz in 2008. Howard Ross (painter, Canada) had an exhibition in Cultural Café Até Jazz in Estremoz. He showed his double feelings at the admiration of the wonderful churches and town squares where also the inquisition took place. Jennifer Hurley (poet; USA) wrote poems inspired by her surroundings. Ana Parreira (multi media artist; Portugal) made an installation along the long wall of our music hall. It is dedicated to the healing capacities of the Tera, a small river 1km from our house. Erik Dyckhoff (singer, writer; Belgium) wrote a book, that was partly inspired by his residencies in Portugal and music projects for foundation OBRAS. Josephine Alcott (multi media artist, landscape architect; USA) has got an intriguing exhibition in the claustro of the town hall of Estremoz. There, she showed the prints with henna on linen of body parts of people in her direct surroundings. Jacobien de Rooy (visual artist; Netherlands) made big drawings of scenes in Portugal that seem to be observed from inside the crown of a tree. Looking to those works the spectator the feeling to be part of the scene and so part of nature, rather than just an observer. We organized a big exhibition of these works in the Igreja San Vicente in Évora. Especially the five 3.5 to 2.5 meters drawings got much attention and admiration. A photo impression is lower on this page. Tathiana Lobo (dancer; Portugal / Brazil) directed a workshop, dedicated to dances that were brought by the slaves to Brazil. She often used the natural surroundings for the exercises. In an amazing performance during the Saturday night diner she showed her extraordinary talents to combine deep emotions with most physical movements on African ritms. Christian Hüssel (Germany; writer of radio plays) worked on a conversation between a cockatoo, turtle and tiger on societal and economical developments and on a dialogue between two criminal hunters . Lissa Brennan (USA); play write and performer. Worked on several theatre productions including a one-woman show. She gave a very impressive and emotional try out of the piece that she wrote at the herdade. Monica de Miranda (Portugal / England); multi-media artist. Developed new ideas for future projects. We nominated her to participate in an exhibition in Germany. Kirsten and Joergen Svenstrup (Denmark; ceramist and painter respectively). They made a car travel of two times 3000 km to work on the Herdade. Kirsten developed a new form for her narrative ceramic constructions of which most have been sold already. Joergen made a large amount of intriguing, abstract mono-prints; that later were exhibited in Hamburg. Hanni Stolker (the Netherlands); painter. Her specialty is transient art. She got a beautiful exhibition on the exterior walls of the club building of PédeXumbo (Evora). On 26 panels of isolation material she showed the Zodiac symbols in a way the spectator can easily interpret them as a prediction that for him the future will be happy and successful. Later, the work has been exhibited in Otterlo (the Netherlands). Gaylord Brewer (USA); poet. Wrote poems on the Alentejan landscape, on bull fights and other subjects he was confronted with. In March 2008, Gaylord sent us his impressive newest collection of poems: The Martini Diet (ISBN 978 0 9777182 3 8). A substantial part of the poems were created during his residency with us in 2005. In 2006 he was winner of the prestigious Orphic Prize. Caroline Ansink (The Netherlands) composed an opera for grand orchestra and chorus and directed a composers workshop. Adrièn Brequet (France); photographer. Made a series of landscape photos with the camara obscura technique, deep down in marble quarries in Borba. Céline Charpentier (France); painter. Worked on a big calligraphy project. Monique Kwist (Netherlands); sculptor. Was intrigued by the architecture of fontes (wells) and cattle drinking places in the rural landscape of Alentejo. Elsa Cham's (Portugal) directed an oriental dance workshop and gave a performance for 40 guests. In her sow she appeared to be a phenomenon who combines musicality, sensuality and athletic capacities in a genial and highly artistic manner. John Macdonald Barret (Scotland); painter/sculptor. Investigated the ruins of the grain mills along the river Téra. He considers a follow up in a multidisciplinary project. Anita Ammerlaan (The Netherlands); painter. Produced five pictures of Alentejan cows in a icon technique. Several have been sold. Paula Dreijer (USA); musician. Is working on an educational book for piano. Jan Kremer (the Netherlands); writer. Is working on a novel with a story that partly takes place in Estremoz. Sung Ung Kim (South Korea); photographer. Made stills of details from buildings in the countryside around Evoramonte. Stills were produced with a camara obscura technique. Jun Kim (South Korea): sound artist. Made several sound compositions, using sounds collected around Evoramonte. JCJ Vanderheijde (The Netherlands); visual artist. Made paintings inspired by the Alentejan landscape. A part of the works have been exhibited in the Netherlands. Molly Sturges (USA); Singer, drama player and Chris Jonas (USA): Sax player, drama player. Gave a multimedia performance in Évora. Later, the performance went on tour in the USA. Christopher Steadman (England); video artist. Made a compilation with materials sampled in Alentejo (cork oaks, black pigs, recital of Alentejan poems).
Apart from facilitating artists in residence, OBRAS organized several events:
Events organized in 2008 are:
16 and 17 May, Convento Espinheiro and Igreja dos Loios, Evora: Concert IN HONOREM BEATAE MARIAE VIRGINIS. 16th-18th century hymns sung by international chorus. Director Jeffrey Skidmore (UK).
SELECTION OF UPCOMING EVENTS (2008-2009)
photo impression of events at the Herdade
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
