ANNA ISAAK-ROSS, ANDRÉ ARAÚJO, CATARINA PORTUGAL, DIANA MORDIDO AIRES, NUNO SOUSA, SALLY SANTIAGO & MARTA DE MENEZES | Living with Cork 2023
2023
Keywords
Proportions | Development | Anatomy | Symmetry | Asymmetry | Dimensions | Diversity | Divergence | Generation | Growth
Synopsis
South region of Portugal, where the landscape is scattered with the presence of Cork oak trees, the interplay between water and nature reveals a story of sustainability and interdependence.
Water, fundamental for life, holds an undeniable importance in this region’s delicate ecosystem. From the waves of the Atlantic Ocean to the intricate network of rivers and streams that weave through the land, water sustains not only the environment but also the livelihoods of its inhabitants. It nurtures the lush vegetation, supports diverse wildlife, and shapes the distinctive charm of the region.
The cork oak trees act as steadfast guardians of the water cycle and are a vital force in water management. Their deep-rooted systems efficiently absorb and store rainwater, preventing erosion and reducing the risk of flooding. As water transudes through the soil, it’s purified and gradually released, replenishing underground aquifers, and maintaining a steady flow in nearby water bodies.
Each pod, a vessel of time and aroma, exudes a harmonious symphony of scents. The air becomes a canvas, full of the delicate fragrance of sun-warmed cork bark, releasing woody notes that carry whispers of ancient wisdom. Subtle hints of earthy moss and the gentle sweetness of blooming wildflowers fill your senses, recreating the very dance of aromas that accompany your footsteps through the forest’s sunlight.
Throughout the video, a gentle narration weaves a poetic narrative, describing the symbiotic relationship between moisture, soil, and lichen. The viewer is invited to contemplate the delicate balance that sustains this microcosm, a living testament to the harmonious interplay between nature’s elements. The lichen-covered trees stand as sentinels of this wondrous dance, a reminder of the hidden miracles that unfold every day within the embrace of moisture-laden air and soil –a silent symphony of life and growth in Portugal’s enchanting cork landscapes.
Close your eyes and let the symphony of water unfold, a mesmerizing tapestry of soundscapes that weave the delicate threads of life it nurtures. Each note, a testament to the profound connection between water and the very essence of existence, invites you to listen to the heartbeat of nature. In each of these soundscapes, water takes centre stage, its influence reverberating through the intricate melodies of life it touches. As you listen, you are enveloped in the essence of existence, attuned to the symphony of interconnectedness that defines our world. Just as water flows through the veins of the Earth, so too does its song flow through the heart of every living being.
Artist Bio
Anna Isaak-Ross is an American artist currently residing in Portugal. She graduated from the College of Visual and Performing Arts at Syracuse University. Anna’s primary medium is photography and new media. Her photos and films have been exhibited internationally. Her work reveals the natural world by using physical form as a conduit for exploration. Many of Anna’s installations explore an archetypal understanding of self in tamed, ruined as well as wild landscapes. Carving out identities with light, shadow and form, she invites viewers out of reality and into a fable-like arc of their choosing. At present, Anna is the Studio Manager & Coordinator at Cultivamos Cultura in São Luís, Portugal.
André Araújo (Porto, 1999) is a Portuguese musician, visual artist and researcher. He studied Classical and Jazz Program at the Conservatório de Música do Porto and has a bachelor’s degree in jazz and Light Music (woodwinds) at the Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel-Belgium. He holds a MA in Contemporary Artistic Creation from Aveiro University and is currently a PhD student in Artistic Creation at Aveiro University (Aveiro), School of Music and Performing Arts(Porto), School Of Media Arts And Design (Porto), School Of Arts and Design (Caldas Da Rainha). His practice is guided by interdisciplinary research that crosses social sciences methodologies and artistic strategies as a relational, sensorial and reflexive potential, framed in the symbolic relationship between memory and place, by a critical, artistic and political sensibility.
Catarina Portugal is an (industrial) designer who explores the multidisciplinarity of ceramics, sculpture, carpentry, metalwork, 3D printing, painting, drawing and sewing. She is studying for a master’s degree in Product Engineering and Design (University of Aveiro).
Diana Mordido Aires (Vila Nova de Milfontes, 1997) is specialized in Jewellery, by Escola Secundária Artística António Arroio, studied Painting at Faculdade de Belas-Artes da Universidade de Lisboa (FBAUL) and has a degree in Artistic and Cultural Mediation by Escola Superior da Educação de Lisboas (ESELx). She has worked as a intern and collaborated with different cultural organisations – Atelier Concorde, Casa das Histórias Paula Rego, Cultivamos Cultura, Fundação Eugénio de Almeida – Centro de Arte e Cultura, RHI. It is in these contexts, and in her artistic practice, that she explores interdisciplinarity and the concept of “territory”, by producing discourses, dynamics and activities that aim to bring together different daily lives and languages. She is co-founder and President of the Portuguese Association of Artistic and Cultural Mediation. Since 2019 she has been working with Cultivamos Cultura, where she develops educational projects and is responsible for the collection.
Marta de Menezes (born 1975) is a Portuguese artist, with a Degree in Fine Arts from the University of Lisbon and a MSt from the University of Oxford. De Menezes is director of Cultivamos Cultura, the leading institution devoted to experimental art in Portugal and Ectopia, dedicated to facilitate the collaborative work between artists and scientists. Marta de Menezes has worked in the intersection of art and biology since the late 90s, in the UK, Australia, the Netherlands, and Portugal, exploring the conceptual and aesthetic opportunities offered by biological sciences for visual representation in the arts. Her work has been widely exhibited in major venues in all continents, presented in most anthologies devoted to bioart, discussed in doctoral dissertations, and considered an example of research in the visual arts. Among the most recent international exhibitions, de Menezes was invited for the 2019 Ars Electronica Festival: Out of the Box, and organized two 2020 Ars Electronica Gardens (Lisbon and São Luis). She was invited to be the official representation of Portugal at the London Design Biennale 2016 and exhibited at the Beijing Biennale of New Media Art 2016. DeMenezes was nominated in 2015 by Time and Fortune magazines for the Art and Technology Awards 2015.
Nuno Sousa is a multimedia artist, with a degree in production of interactive content and multimedia, entered the erasmus program where he studied cinema at the Krzysztof Kieslowki Faculty of Radio and Television. His specialization is the modeling and rendering of 3d content, mainly interested in ceramic pieces and portraying people, moments or experiences in digital media. Over time he has collaborated in several projects predominantly as a Photogrametry freelancer, he is now starting a master’s degree in contemporary art.
Sally Santiago is a Brazilian artist and researcher living in Porto/Portugal, where she is developing her PhD research in Fine Arts. Using video, installation, and photography to elevate the movements of existence to a conscious surface, the artist presents profound reflections on the nature of life and art itself. By engaging in dialogues about the body and space – their relationship and inhabitation – their experiments traverse the realms of art and philosophy, intertwining to reveal immaterial reflections between human existence and its connection with the world around. She is part of the doctoral programme in Fine Arts at FBAUP, has a master’s degree in contemporary artistic creation (UA/PT) and a bachelor’s degree in communication (UAM/ BR).
Since 2021 she is part of the team of the cultural institutions Cultivamos Cultura and Ectopia Laboratório de Arte Experimental. Before that, in 2020, she collaborated with the Centre of Contemporary Art in Christchurch (NZ).
André Araújo & Marta de Menezes; “Living with Cork: Moist Sounds” (sound files)
Diana Mordido Aires & Marta de Menezes; “Living with Cork: Scent paths” (scent difusers)
Sally Santiago & Marta de Menezes; “Living with Cork: Lychen” (video)
Anna Isaak-Ross &Marta de Menezes; “Living with Cork: Light and water” (cyanotypes)
Light and water: Revealing the layered perspectives of the cork landscape ecosystem and its biome
Synopsis
Presenting an exclusive edition/collection of 10 meticulously crafted cyano-types, produced in the Alentejo region of Portugal by the collaborative efforts of Marta de Menezes and Anna Isaak -Ross. This series showcases microscopic images of indigenous lichen specimens interwoven with captivating vistas from the region, seamlessly melding the two realms. At the heart of these artworks lies the theme of water – a motif that threads through each composition.
Employing the cyanotype technique, direct sunlight is used to imprint each image onto paper, bringing authenticity to each piece. After this traditional practice, each image is transformed with an innovative twist: an incorporation of natural dyes sourced from the region itself. The eucalyptus tree leaves, sourced from local cork forests, are transformed into unique dyes, culminating in a dark-brown hue. This earthy dye reimagines the conventional blue cyanotype, infusing it with the hues of the region’s terroir.
Rendered as singular pieces, each piece was created with the strength of the sun’s light to tell a story. They take you through a path between different scales and dimensions, a visual expression of water through soil, land, life , and light. The lichen specimens featured in these photographic tableaux include Usnea subfloridana, Ramalina fastigiata, Usnea subscabrosa, and Usnea subrubi-cunda – all emblematic of the region’s biodiversity.
