Do we know it's Christmas?

Rua Nova do Almada, 27.11.10

Rua Garrett, 27.11.10

Largo do Chiado, 27.11.10

Under the Bridge

When I came to Lisbon, in March 2010, I also came with the idea of organising some exhibitions and events. Something I had been meaning to do for a while, but, for several reasons, had not. I hooked up with my friend Sophie Royer, whom I had met when I lived in Lisbon for a few months in 2000. In 2005 she had started a collective called ZAAT www.zaat.net, and each year she organised an arts and music festival called ZAAT Mostra de Artes Visuais e Sonoras. I started collaborating with her on projects, first doing a Silent Disco in July, and then the fifth edition of the festival. The ZAAT Mostra de Artes Visuais e Sonoras is running until December 15th, and it involves artists from Portugal and abroad exhibiting in non-tradition spaces like homes, offices and garages. One featured work is the Itinerant Camera Obscura, by Cristina Saez www.cristina-saez.com. Cristina came with the idea of doing a camera obscura, but we didn't have a place for it, so she decided to do it in a tent, and every Saturday we take it to a different location. Yesterday I went on an expedition to the Ponte 25 de Abril, and set up the tent there. In the same location there is a public art project involving shipping containers. Different artists have been invited to work with three containers. The last and most recent is a piece by Portuguese artist José Pedro Croft.

Christmas is coming

Av. da Liberdade, 13/11/10

Aprés

Dia Internacional dos Monumentos e Sítios

Last Sunday April 18^th was the International Day of Monuments and Places. A number of museums and monuments were open, offering free tours and other entertainment, while themed guided tours around Lisbon where also organised. I was torn between a few choices, but finally decided on the Reservatório da Mãe d’Água das Amoreiras, part of the Museu da Água (Museum of Water).

The reservoir is where water carried by the Aqueduto das Águas Livres into Lisbon was gathered and then distributed to the different fountains around the city. Lisbon suffered from a lack of water, and the project was started in the 18^th century, the aqueduct carrying water sourced from different places surrounding Lisbon.

The aqueduct is one of Lisbon’s most outstanding landmarks. My mother thinks it is Lisbon’s most beautiful monument, and it is indeed stunning.

The group attending the tour was big, and the guide was very good, taking us through the project’s timeline.

We even got to go inside the last stretch of the aqueduct, and I was surprised by how small it was, allowing for only limited amounts of water to flow at a time, rather than the cascades I had imagined.

The reservoir itself, on the other hand, is 7 metres deep and has a capacity of 5,500 m3. The blue water was so inviting, it just made me want to jump in.

The space itself was always meant to be open to the public, and now it also showcases exhibitions and concerts.

Opening of Alexandre Estrela’s “Viagem ao Meio” at Galeria Zé dos Bois

Galeria Zé dos Bois is one of the most cutting edge art institutions in Lisbon. Housed in an 18^th century building in Bairro Alto, it was initially a squat and is now supported by the Ministry of Culture. It puts on very interesting conceptual art exhibitions, as well as concerts.

My friend Sophie and I went to the opening of the gallery’s current exhibition, Alexantre Estrela’s “Viagem ao Meio”.

As part of the opening, that night there was a gig by the Portuguese experimental jazz musician Sei Miguel (with collaborators). A revelation.

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