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ARTWORK VILLAGE

Mosteiro visits the Photography Studies Centre of Tomar

Among various photographic experiences, the participants of the Mosteiro community created images without using a camera, from which they originated photograms made by their own hands in a laboratory improvised by the CEFT team at the Mosteiro Association.

The work (which translates as “Memoir of a village with future: experiencing the past, thinking of tomorrow”) is a record of the collective and individual relationship of the participants with the village of Mosteiro and the photographic creation. The title, which was chosen by the elderly themselves, reflects the sensitive nature of the work developed by the community, the CEFT team and the SAMP team. Each image features the silhouette of elements from the village of Mosteiro: the participants’ hands, leaves, flowers and biographical objects. The photograms were taken without using a camera, in a photographic laboratory improvised by the CEFT team, where the participants were able to experiment and learn about development processes and photographic recording.

Memoir of a village with future: experiencing the past, thinking of tomorrow

Mosteiro, Portugal, 2021
Photograms
18 x 24 cm
Photo paper, leaves, objects, lace and hands

This artwork is a collective creation made by the community of Mosteiro (Pedrógão Grande), as part of the ‘Museu na Aldeia’ project.

Alice Dinis | Alsina Lopes | Alzira Miranda | António Rosa Tomás | Artur Fernandes Carlos Antunes | Carminda Pernada | Cecília Coelho | Constantino Dinis Eduarda Marques | Fernando Carvalho | Fernando Coelho | Helena Conceição Ilda Tomás | João Coelho | João Conceição | João de Deus Rodrigues | Laudemira Carvalho | Laudina Nunes | Manuela Coelho | Maria Alice Marques | Maria Augusta Maria Conceição Tomás | Maria do Carmo Coelho | Maria Graciete Marques | Maria Noémia Rodrigues | Rogério Tomás | Rosa Maria Tomás

Mosteiro

Parish Council of Pedrógão Grande, Municipality of Pedrógão Grande

The village of Mosteiro is located on the banks of Ribeira de Pera, and this approach had a great impact on the development of the region, proving fundamental to the subsistence of the local community. The proximity to the water also led to the appearance of other infrastructures that sought to make the most of the river, such as the construction of a collectively-managed irrigation field, wells, mills and oil presses that worked with hydraulic power. Today, water still occupies a prominent position, making this village a tourist reference, not only due to its river beach, but also to the fact that it belongs to the “Schist Villages Route”.

Paisagens da Vida

The artwork that visited the Village

Centre for Photography Studies in Tomar goes to the Mosteiro

Photography, as a technique and record of memory, was presented by the Tomar Centre for Photography Studies to the community of Mosteiro, in Pedrógão Grande. The community was invited to share their joys, sorrows, dreams, projects and colours through photographs from family albums and portraits made by the CEFT team.

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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

A laboratory was organised in the association (…) to develop the photos we had taken in the street, using the sun as a resource. Those photos brought back good memories for me. They reminded me of when I was 11 years old; I was at my godfather’s house (…) he was a photo-lab amateur. And I remember that one day I also went into that small laboratory that he had in a corner of his house, where he would develop photographs, one of which he took of me.

Cecília Coelho, Community of Mosteiro, Municipality of Pedrógão Grande

(…) it was a way for them to get out of their daily routine and experience an opportunity to value the role of museums as institutions that bring people closer to their roots.


Susana Coelho, Municipal Archive of Pedrógão Grande, Municipality of Pedrógão Grande

It was good, it was great. I think it was useful that they came here, because people are more connected. There are so few of us and there are days when we don’t even see each other, so it’s a way to get together and socialise more with each other. It was nice to have people like you from outside talking to us. The result of this work was beautiful. There was a bit of everything… even a picture of my patio. The experience could not have been better.


Laudina Pereira Nunes, Community of Mosteiro, Municipality of Pedrógão Grande.

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 de Tomar
    Município de Pedrógão Grande
    Centro de Estudos em Fotografia de Tomar
    Junta de Freguesia de Pedrógão Grande
    Associação do Mosteiro
    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 | Musician
      Inesa Markava | Artistic Performance Director
      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 | Degree in Social Psychology
      Leonor Capricho | Graphic Designer
      Ismael Neves | Logistic and Financial Support
      Telma Pereira | Production
    • Texts
      Ana Figueiredo | SAMP
      António Ventura | CEFT – Casa dos Cubos
      Gabriela da Rocha | SAMP
      Henrique Chaves | SAMP
      Sofia Neves | SAMP
    • Photography credits
      António Ventura | CEFT – Casa dos Cubos
      SAMP Team
      Gil de Lemos
      Hugo Malainho | CEFT – Casa dos Cubos
      Manuel Gil | Casota Collective
      Rita Stoffel | CEFT – Casa dos Cubos
    • Museology and museography
      António Ventura | CEFT – Casa dos Cubos
      Gabriela da Rocha | SAMP
      Pedro Perfeito | CEFT – Casa dos Cubos
      Patrícia Romão | Gabinete de Museologia e Património Cultural | CEFT
    • Assembly and technical support
      António Ventura | CEFT – Casa dos Cubos
      Gabriela da Rocha | SAMP
      Gonçalo Figueiredo | CEFT – Casa dos Cubos
      Helena Soeiro | CEFT – Casa dos Cubos
      Margarida Costa | CEFT – Casa dos Cubos
    • Graphic design and illustration
      Henrique Martinowski
      Leonor Capricho | SAMP
      Pedro Perfeito | CEFT – Casa dos Cubos
    • Equipment design
      Paolo Martini | Novonovo
    • Photo editing and post-production
      Gonçalo Figueiredo | CEFT – Casa dos Cubos
      Pedro Perfeito | CEFT – Casa dos Cubos
    • Video capture and editing
      Hugo Malainho | CEFT – Casa dos Cubos
    • Scanning and indexing
      Margarida Costa | CEFT – Casa dos Cubos
      Rita Stoffel | CEFT – Casa dos Cubos
      Pedro Perfeito | CEFT – Casa dos Cubos
    • Specialised transportation of the artwork
      RNTrans – Grupo URBANOS
    • Insurance of the artwork
      LUSITANIA, Companhia de Seguros, SA
    • Acknowledgements
      Comunidade do Mosteiro
      Laura Silva e Daniela Silva
      Associação Cultural e Recreativa de Melhoramentos de São Pedro do Mosteiro
      Arquivo Municipal de Pedrógão Grande
      Centro de Estudos em Fotografia de Tomar
      Politécnico de Tomar
      União de Freguesias de Leiria, Pousos, Barreira e Cortes
      ANAFS – Associação Nacional dos Alistados das Formações Sanitárias

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