Ninth International Conference on The Image

Abstract

The communication is focused on the cultural and social image of place. In this context, a set of photographs and videos are presented, produced in the context of two participatory art projects with communities, which are reproductions of the seasonal work that partially structures economically, socially and culturally the South and Southeast of Portugal. This investigation is anchored on an integrated perspective of place that is constituted by the interconnection of the human, geographical, economic, biophysical, political, historical, cultural and ecological dimensions that extensively characterize local life. It is grounded on the relation between labour and local natural resources. The first project, called “Artistic Interactions With Cacela Velha” (2006-2009), was developed in the village of Cacela Velha, mainly with women and retired fishermen. The second project, titled “Creative Practices around the Production of Cork” (2015-2018), was implemented in the village of Azaruja, mostly with working and retired cork workers. The practice-based research used an empathic approach rooted on models of listening and dialoguing, as a methodology of involving local people to participate, and were materialized with hybrid media in a transdisciplinary perspective. The communication explores the image as the experience/process in the work itself, in its spatial, dialogical, documentary, archive, anthropological and archaeological dimensions, as a tool to promote, both local people and other audiences, a reflection about the significance of place and its inhabitants, the cultural and social impact of the labour activities, and to engage local populations to participate culturally on the places where they live and work.