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VILLAGE ARTWORK

São Bento visits the Museum Network of Peniche

During the Middle Jurassic period, the municipality of Porto de Mós had a close relationship with the sea. In the community of São Bento, the creativity and craftsmanship of the participants came together with the fossils of the Jurassic beach and the local vegetation, giving shape to small pieces built in marzipan that make reference to the festive cakes of the region.

The artwork “As Árvores de São Bento” (The Trees of São Bento) was based on the presentation of samples from the Fishing and Bobbin Lace Collection of Peniche. Thus, landscapes and traditions took shape in the hands of the community, which chose to highlight bread as a representative and uniting element of the local community. The participants used bread dough to reproduce figures representing elements of local vegetation, party cakes and even some fossils from the Jurassic Beach. The colourful pieces, which are suspended from tree branches, as curious as they are enchanting, forge links between different eras and realities, allowing us to observe the evolution of a fantastic, delicate, creative and organic world.

The Trees of São Bento

Porto de Mós, Portugal, 2021
Art installation
Massa pão e ramos de árvores

This artwork is a collective creation made by the community of São Bento (Porto de Mós) as part of project “Museu na Aldeia” (Village Museum).

Cremilde Santana | Emília Januário | Ermelinda Alves | Laurentina Jorge | Lucinda Alves | Maria Alice Ferraria | Maria Assunção | Maria Celeste Santos | Maria dos Anjos Barreiro | Maria Emília Costa | Maria Rosário Valente | Maria Rosário Ferraria | Maria Silvério Valente

São Bento

Parish Council of São Bento, Municipality of Porto de Mós

Around 170 million years ago, the territory of São Bento was occupied by a shallow sea, where life left its mark in the form of fossils. It is in this setting that the so-called “Jurassic Beach” originated, and it is still visible in the quarry of Cabeço da Ladeira. The need to increase the area for cultivation, in order to meet the needs of the population, led to these lands being cleared and the loose stones were used to build walls, which can be found throughout the region. As a result, the land became more easily arable and was also used for grazing. Cereal was made in the surrounding mills. From there came the flour for daily bread, but also to make pastries for village festivals and celebrations.

Where there are fishnets, there is lacework

The artwork that visited the Village

the Museum Network of Peniche goes to SÃO BENTO

The history of Peniche was shaped by the relationship with the sea, which marked the local identity rooted in fishing traditions, agriculture and bobbin lace. The Museum Network of Peniche selected a collection of artefacts that highlighted this unique relationship between land and sea, including the lacemakers themselves as living heritage and testimony of this cultural heritage.

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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

I liked it very much, it was the first time we had something so interesting, that will take us to the world.

Maria Emília, Comunidade de São Bento, Município de Porto de Mós

The sense of self-esteem of the elderly, seeing their artistic creation displayed in a distant place and, most particularly, in a museum, is something that seemed unattainable to them and it has been all too evident.


Jorge Figueiredo, Cultural Heritage, Municipality of Porto de Mós

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 Porto de Mós
    Município de Peniche
    Rede Museológica do Concelho de Peniche
    Museu da Renda de Bilros de Peniche
    Freguesia de São Bento
    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
      Gabriela da Rocha | SAMP
      Henrique Chaves | SAMP
      Jorge Figueiredo | Património Cultural – Município de Porto de Mós
      Raquel Janeirinho | Rede Museológica – Município de Peniche
      Sofia Neves | SAMP
    • Photography credits
      Team | SAMP
      Gil de Lemos
    • Museology and museography
      Gabriela da Rocha | SAMP
      Jorge Martins | Rede Museológica – Município de Peniche
      Raquel Janeirinho | Rede Museológica – Município de Peniche
      Rui Venâncio | Rede Museológica – Município de Peniche
    • Exhibition set-up
      Gabriela da Rocha | SAMP
      Inês Soares e Lorenzo Scodeller | Novonovo
      Jorge Figueiredo | Património Cultural – Município de Porto de Mós
      Jorge Martins | Rede Museológica – Município de Peniche
      Raquel Janeirinho | Rede Museológica – Município de Peniche
    • Graphic design
      Henrique Martinowski
      Leonor Capricho | SAMP
    • Equipment design
      Paolo Martini | Novonovo
    • Transportation of the artwork
      Jorge Martins | Rede Museológica – Município de Peniche
      Raquel Janeirinho | Rede Museológica – Município de Peniche
    • Insurance of the artwork
      LUSITANIA, Companhia de Seguros, SA
    • Acknowledgements
      Comunidades de Casal de Santo António, São Bento, Casal Velho, Moliana,
      Telhados Grandes, Covão do Sabugueiro, Penedos Belos e muitas outras.
      Manuel Pamena
      Rede Museológica – Município de Peniche
      Escola Municipal de Renda de Bilros de Peniche
      Museu Municipal de Porto de Mós
      Central das Artes de Porto de Mós
      FabLab Porto de Mós
      União das Freguesias de Leiria, Pousos, Barreira e Cortes
      ANAFS – Associação Nacional dos Alistados das Formações Sanitárias

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