Archive

Lili Levine (US) came to our rural fablab in southern Portugal to develop a long term residence of three months. During this period Lilia developed research about Portuguese traditional design and handicrafts, and more specifically the pattern design are Portuguese azulejo tiles and lace embroidery. Inspired by the “azulejos” Lilia developed a collection of pieces that seek to blur the notion between hard and soft, rigid and flexible, tiled and woven. All pieces where 3D printed in our fablab and the photographs taken in one of our spaces....

People and Nature have always been a point of focus in Nathalie Magniez’s works. She experiments with surreal juxtapositions of places and people. In the Morgado’s Colonel master bedroom, Nathalie found the necessary combination between melancholy, identity and quietness needed to inspire a new body of work. During her residency Nathalie produced a significant number of paintings and drawings, finalizing with an itinerary exhibition through the streets of Messejana....

Tudo Azul is a work that uses sculpture as a medium to explore the impact of urbanization on those left behind, while honouring the Portuguese ritual of bullfighting. A blue and white bull origami sculpture “Margarita” was created using construction paper & tape and placed as an ephemeral installation in the streets of Messejana. The sculpture’s colours mirror the colours of traditional houses in Alentejo, while evoking saudade: a melancholic longing for the departure of those who will be missed....

Graduated from the Maryland College of Art with a BFA in Graphic Design, Mazzy Bell spent most of her college career perfecting my technical craft, namely in the fields of printmaking and ceramics. While initially the residency aimed to create a body of work that is both playful and discomforting to the viewer, Mazzy Bell ended by creating a body of work dedicated to Buinho’s Playground. Buinho is especially thankful to Mazzy Bell for dedicating her creative energy and talent for this mission....

Lee Suet-Ying received her master degree in visual art from Hong Kong. Her recent works show her interest in how people create the sense of place in different kinds of space, aiming to“generate experience” based on the daily observations of places and objects. In Buinho Lee was inspired by both the surrounding landscape of Messejana and the story behind Forma factory. As a result she revisited two early products of Forma, trying to mix conventional woodworking with CNC milling capability....

With both a degree in Architecture and Fine Arts, Elena Boccini artistic practice provides a strong relationship with the natural, built forms within Nature. Inspired by the smooth landscape of Alentejo, and the simplicity of the agricultural practices and traditions. Elena Boccini developed a landart intervention during her residency in Buinho. Forty-one haystacks were transformed into a bingo installation, inviting the viewers to submerge and play within Messejana’s plains....

Marina Rees practice and research have always been concerned with our experience and understanding of natural history, being increasingly interested in translating traditions to current issues, in particular, environmental issues. As such Marina developed a residency in the local ethnographic museum of Messejana and presented two video pieces which explored the memory of local land use from the museum’s collection, but also the struggle between cork trees and eucalyptus for the domination of Alentejo's landscape....

Saige Baxter is a sculptor and art teacher based in Pittsburg US. During her residency in Buinho, Saige developed extensive research and contact with the local community that culminated with the design and production of public sculpture. Now in permanent display in the town of Messejana, the sculpture reflects the religious tradition of Messejana and its people. Additional highlights include the workshop developed for the women of Messejana in both industrial and artistic welding....

“We go where the work takes us” is an enduring conviction that drives the work of Callous Physical Theatre. Callous P. T. is composed by artists Josephine Garibaldi and Paul Zmolek. Callous P. T. develops work embracing the challenge and possibility of the site. During the residency in Buinho Josephine and Paul used the laser cutting equipment of the fablab to design and produce forty lanterns with patterns of Messejana, which were later used in a temporary installation “Illuminated Path”....

Margaret project revolved about how people’s thinking and feeling is being mediated through digital platforms. Divided into two parts (“new stencils”+ investigation of pattern and individuation with the community of Messejana), the “new stencils” subject was based on the fablab capabilities (vinyl and laser cutter) to make the digital platforms rigid, physical, and substantial. The investigation about patterns was developed together with local people and culminated in a workshop with children....