Terra Batida

Bodies that act as sensors, stories of mining and monoculture from the region of Fundão.

The relationship between bodies and the environment is transitional and transformative. Because of this, bodies can be sensors of landscapes, message transmitters, smoke inhalers, virus incubators, or opponents in a legal cause demanding reparations.

The body of a river is hurt by mining, the body of a miner is hurt by silicosis, the bodies of unborn children are hurt by the absence of reparations. Not every mark of the continuous dialogue between bodies and landscapes can be understood with the same language. We are inspired by the idea of finding other languages and ways to sense reality.

In 2023, Terra Batida presents a programme of performances and talks around the idea of bodies as sensors. The programme is the result of a collective residency in the Fundão region. There, we visited the Panasqueira Mines, with their long history of death and pollution, dating back to the mining of tungsten in World War II. We learned about the fight against lithium mining in Serra de Argemela and Gonçalo. We debated the history of pine monoculture and the national invention that is the “Gardunha cherry”. We also learned about practices of care and regeneration that are like a salve, applied gently on the landscape.

We supported two performances that were developed in this context. Aeromancy, by Alina Ruiz Folini, danced with Emily Silva and Bibi Dória, seeks to hack the respiratory fluxes that inhale the violence of heteronormativity. Conspiracies, by Teresa Castro, approaches the format of a lecture-performance. In it, she works and fantasizes around a collection of environmental tales from the Beira Baixa region that were collected during our residency in the region.

Over the four days of this mini-festival, we also present the result of a partnership with humusidades. More than 30 people in Portugal and Brazil participated in an online study group about the environmental, social and political parallels between places called “Fundão”. In addition, Ritó (aka Rita Natálio) proposes a workshop about the relationship between geology and corporality, addressing body mining practices (a.k.a “tiny mining”), dyke geology, and writing practices between stones and words, extraction and abstraction. .

Terra Batida

PROGRAM

11 NOV

Geoerotics by Ritó (Rita Natálio)
Workshop

14H-17H

12 NOV

Conspirações by Teresa Castro

Lecture-Performance
20H

E lá no fundo o que é que tem? (humusidades) with Zoy Anastassakis, Äline Besourö e Ísis Daou

Presentation / Instalation
21H

13 NOV

Conspirações by Teresa Castro

Lecture-Performance
19H

Aeromancia by AlinaRuiz Folini

Performance
+

Refundão with Alina Ruiz Folini, Teresa Castro, & Rafaela Aleixo

Game-Talk
20H

14 NOV

Aeromancia by Alina Ruiz Folini

Performance
+
Refundão II with Rita Natálio e Pablo Quiroga Devia

Game-Talk
19h

Credits

Coordination and Research Ritó (Rita Natálio) Artistic proposals Alina Ruiz Folini, Teresa Castro, humusidades Lights Lui L'Abbate Sound Rui Antunes Artists, activists and researchers Anabela Paula, Emma Cowan, João Leonardo, Pablo Quiroga Devia, Paula Cristina de Oliveira, Rafaela Aleixo Organisations ARS Investigação e Desenvolvimento, À escuta, Caminheiros da Gardunha, Cine.gardunha, Escola Secundária do Fundão/Curso de Artes Visuais, humusidades, Guardiões da Serra da Estrela, Grupo pela Preservação da Serra de Argemela, Programa Integrado de IC&DT CULTIVAR Research visits Aldeia do Barco, Escola Secundária do Fundão, Freguesia de Ourondo, Freguesia de Gonçalo, Casa dos Bombos de Lavacolhos, ARS - Investigação e Desenvolvimento, Castelo Novo Photographs João Dias Video Aline Belfort Support to simultaneous translation Dani D’Emilia Executive producer Associação Parasita/Sofia Lopes Production assistant Laila Algaves Nuñez Management Associação Parasita/ Lysandra Domingues Coproduced by Alkantara Supported by Câmara Municipal do Fundão, Governo de Portugal – Ministério da Cultura/Direção-Geral das Artes Thanks to Amina Bawa