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Museum Artwork

Caldas da Rainha Arts Centre goes to Ateanha

Around three tonnes of marble sculpture was on display at the entrance to the village of Ateanha, in the municipality of Ansião. The work temporarily provided by the Caldas da Rainha Arts Centre invited the community and visitors to share unique moments while contemplating the beauty of the local landscape.

David’s Bench represents the eye of the statue of David by Michelangelo (1475- 1564), the most famous sculpture of the Italian Renaissance, a period characterised by an emphasis on reason, science and art. With this work, the German sculptor Susanne Paucker seeks to draw attention to the importance of the look, since it is through it that we connect with the world. Her compositions are characterised by integrating a human side, and in this case, it was included when sculpting the bench. This sculpture stayed in Ateanha for about three months, where it admired its extraordinary landscape, the vastness of the valley and the jagged mountains on the horizon. The work encouraged local residents and visitors to the village to interact directly with it, making it a place for everyone to stay and socialise.

Banco de Davi | David´s Bench by museunaaldeia on Sketchfab

David’s Bench

Susanne Paucker, 2014

111 x 146,5 x 112 cm

Sculpture

Grey marble

Centro de Artes Caldas da Rainha

Caldas da Rainha Arts Centre

Municipality of Caldas da Rainha

Caldas da Rainha Arts Centre has had the mission to preserve the heritage and support the artistic development of the municipality since the 1980s. Since then, it has provided infrastructures and residency programmes for national and international artists and students. The arts centre is composed of several museums, including Atelier-Museu António Duarte, Atelier-Museu João Fragoso, Museu Barata Feyo, Museu Leopoldo de Almeida and Espaço da Concas. Set in a large garden, the arts centre delivers a diversified collection, which notably includes contemporary art and sculpture, and where various exhibitions and workshops are held.

The artwork that visited the museum

Ateanha goes to Caldas da Rainha Arts Centre

The artwork presented by the Caldas da Rainha Arts Centre invited people to enjoy moments of sharing while observing the local landscape. The community then decided to create their own bench. This project was supported by several partners who used the village’s stone shapes and 3D printing technology to materialise the participants’ vision. This collective work of art became more than a piece, it transformed a small spot in the village into a meeting place, and a symbol of shared experiences and friendships built.

see artwork

Meetings and Sharing

The Community welcomes an artwork from the Museum, inviting it into the heart of their village. This object becomes a catalyst, inspiring museum professionals and the artistic team to engage participants in a collaborative process. Together, they establish connections between the museum artwork, its reflection, and its ties to local heritage. Using local elements such as objects, songs, stories, and traditions, participants craft their own artwork. The celebration reaches its peak with the inauguration of a temporary exhibition in the museum. An artistic performance fosters connections among communities and museum professionals, strengthening bonds between them.

And so it was… Art as an invitation for encounters and connections.

Testimonials

The choice of sculpture was also due to the figure of David mainly as a symbol of resistance, as he defended his territory from a giant who threatened to take his land. And that seemed to have an interesting analogy to the community of Ateanha, regarding those who remain here, those who stay here and who resist here. And certainly, those who resist exist.

José Antunes
Director of Centro de Artes Caldas da Rainha.

I’ll tell you something: it’s bad that you’re taking it away… We liked it here. I mean, we like it! (…) I’d say whatever was necessary. We would like the bench to stay here (…) I don’t know, but it is bad that you are taking it away

Manuel Dias
Community of Ateanha, Municipality of Ansião.

(…) Art and religion end up having a very close proximity. Because art can speak of what is most intimate and deepest within the human being. And even to express faith, there is nothing better than art to express human beings’ feelings of faith and religion. Therefore, many of the objects that are used in religion are artistic objects.

Padre João Dias
Ateanha, Municipality of Ansião

I’ve followed it from the beginning until now without a glitch. And… I’m honest, I liked them all. I liked going to Marinha Grande (where the CDRSP – Centre for the Rapid and Sustainable Development of Products is located) to see how it was built (the Bank) I liked going to Pousos (Leiria), I liked everything. I enjoyed our meetings. I enjoyed everything… I enjoyed seeing… I felt happy and joyful to see that our land was becoming better known… that until then it seemed to us that it was a little forgotten, but it wouldn’t be, but… I liked it. I have to be honest, there was nothing I didn’t like.

Maria Luís
Community of Ateanha, Municipality of Ansião

Exhibitions Credits

  • Cultural Promoter
    SAMP – Sociedade Artística Musical dos Pousos
  • Co-financier
    Iniciativa Portugal Inovação Social
    Programa Operacional Social e de Emprego (PO ISE)
    Portugal 2020
    Fundo Social Europeu (FSE)
  • Social investor
    Câmara Municipal de Leiria
    Partner
    Rede Cultura 2027
  • In collaboration with
    Município das Caldas da Rainha
    Município de Ansião
    Centro de Artes Caldas da Rainha
    Freguesia de Alvorge
    União de Freguesias de Leiria, Pousos, Barreira e Cortes
  • Museums Working Group for “Rede Cultura 2027”
    Alberto Guerreiro | Museu Raul da Bernarda
    Sónia Santos | Município de Ourém
    Bruno Silva | Rede de Museus e Galerias de Óbidos
    Dóris Santos | Museu Dr. Joaquim Manso
    Filipe Guimarães da Silva | Fundação Mário Soares e Maria Barroso
    Jorge Figueiredo | Município de Porto de Mós
    Luís Figueiredo | Museu Damião de Góis e das Vítimas da Inquisição
    Margarida Moleiro | Museu Municipal Carlos Reis
    Raquel Janeirinho | Rede Museológica do Concelho de Peniche
    Vânia Carvalho | Museu de Leiria
  • The 13 Villages
    Alcanadas (Batalha) | Louriceira de Cima (Arruda dos Vinhos) | Ateanha (Ansião) | Cabeças (Alvaiázere) | Cercal (Cadaval) | Columbeira (Bombarral) | Fanhais (Nazaré) | Freixianda (Ourém) | Folgarosa (Torres Vedras) | Mosteiro (Pedrógão Grande) | São Bento (Porto de Mós) | Fetelaria (Sobral de Monte Agraço) | Pena e Casal da Pena (Torres Novas)
  • The 13 Museums
    Casa do Tempo (Castanheira de Pera) | Centro de Artes Caldas da Rainha | Centro de Estudos em Fotografia de Tomar | Rede de Museus e Galerias de Óbidos | Museu de Arte Popular Portuguesa (Pombal) | Museu da Lourinhã | Museu de Aguarela Roque Gameiro (Alcanena) | Museu de Leiria | Museu do Vidro (Marinha Grande) | Museu e Centro de Artes de Figueiró dos Vinhos | Museu Damião de Góis e das Vítimas da Inquisição (Alenquer) | Museu Raul da Bernarda (Alcobaça) | Rede Museológica do Concelho de Peniche

    The project also had the collaboration of museums from the 26 participating municipalities.
  • SAMP Contigo | Coordination
    Raquel Gomes
  • Museu na Aldeia | Coordination
    Gabriela da Rocha
    Sofia Neves
  • Museu na Aldeia | Teams of the project
    • SAMP | Artistic team
      Bruno Homem | Musician
      Filipa Cunha | Music
      Inesa Markava | Artistic Director of Performances
      Jesus Kristen | Musician
      Raquel Gomes | Community Artist
      Ruben Santos | Musician
      Sofia Neves | Actress
    • SAMP | Technical team
      Ana Figueiredo | Communication and Content Manager
      Cátia Gaio | Logistic and Financial Support
      Gabriela da Rocha | Museologist
      Henrique Chaves | Sociologist
      Lara Matos | Graduate in Social Psychology
      Leonor Capricho | Graphic Designer
      Ismael Neves | Logistic and Financial Support
      Telma Pereira | Production
    • Texts
      Ana Figueiredo | SAMP
      Carla Tomás | Museu da Lourinhã
      Gabriela da Rocha | SAMP
      Henrique Chaves | SAMP
      Sofia Neves | SAMP
    • Photography credits
      SAMP Team
      Gil de Lemos
    • Museography and museology
      Gabriela da Rocha | SAMP
      José Antunes | Centro de Artes Caldas da Rainha
    • Exhibition set-up and artwork installation
      Câmara Municipal de Ansião
      Gabriela da Rocha | SAMP
      José Antunes | Centro de Artes Caldas da Rainha
      Junta de Freguesia de Alforge
      Pedro Pedrosa | Mendesinov
    • Graphic design and illustration
      Henrique Martinowski
      Leonor Capricho | SAMP
    • Exhibition equipment design
      Paolo Martini | Novonovo
    • Coordination of technical support teams
      Florindo Gaspar | CDRSP
      Artur Mateus | CDRSP
    • Technical drawing and design
      Luís Monteiro Ferreira | Architect
    • 3D Digitization
      Gabriela da Rocha | SAMP
    • KUKA Robot | 3D Printing
      Pedro Pedrosa | Coordenação e Impressão 3D – Mendesinov
      Alberto Gil | Apoio técnico – AGIX
      Arpan Joshi | Apoio técnico – CDRSP
      Rafael Tavares | Apoio técnico – CDRSP
    • Additional manufacturing systems
      Luís Oliveira | AMCubed
      Marco Lagares | Pronum
    • Cementitious materials
      Miguel Mendes | Mendesinov
      Bruno Fonseca | FMMG
    • Insurance of the artwork
      LUSITANIA, Companhia de Seguros, SA
    • Specialised transportation of the artwork
      RNTrans – Grupo URBANOS
      TMM Manuel Mendes, Lda
    • Acknowledgements
      Comunidade de Ateanha
      Pároco João Dias
      Capela de São Martinho
      Câmara Municipal de Ansião
      Junta de Freguesia de Alvorge
      Centro de Artes Caldas da Rainha
      Museu José Malhoa e Museu da Cerâmica das Caldas da Rainha
      CDRSP – Centro para o Desenvolvimento Rápido e Sustentado de Produto
      Mendesinov
      TMM Manuel Mendes
      AGIX
      FMMG
      Pronum
      Politécnico de Leiria
      União de Freguesias de Leiria, Pousos, Barreira e Cortes
      ANAFS – Associação Nacional de Alistados das Formações Sanitárias

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