With each brushstroke by Xavier Franck, a new look at the Ria Formosa is being born, in Faro. The artist is creating a mural in the back of the Centro Ciência Viva do Algarve, with the collaboration of those who have the estuary as a source of livelihood.
Xavier Franck turned 35 three days ago and is from Faro. Therefore, he understands the importance that Ria Formosa has for the people of the city.
In conversation with Sul Informação, between brushes, rollers and paints, the artist explains that he was «contacted by Sciaena, who had the Mar Motto project, to do this work. I was asked to work in the area of awareness of the problems in Ria Formosa. From there, the wall of the Ciência Viva Center was chosen, as it is an entrance to the old city, through the ria».
According to Xavier Franck, the purpose of the mural is “to alert to the new realities facing the Ria Formosa, such as tourism, for example. Then, the idea came to me to paint this look, in which the ancestors are reflecting on the future».
The best vantage point to appreciate the mural, when completed, will be from a boat in the Ria Formosa. The area is inaccessible to the public, as it is only a few meters from the railway line, but this is also true because this new look at the estuary is created with those who navigate the canals in mind.
«The idea is that painting is a meeting point for people who use the space: fishermen, shellfish collectors, tour operators. We want to build a bridge between everyone here, through art,” explains Xavier Franck.
For now, with the mural still in the process of being created, one can see the face and look of a man, but what the final result will be is still unknown.
«What I have been thinking will certainly change. We have had regular meetings with fishermen, who will give their opinion, because we want them to see themselves in this mural. But other entities will also have a say: for example, for the Centro Ciência Viva, it will make sense to paint a sea horse, for fishermen, it will make sense for fishing gear to be present. Tour operators, on the other hand, have another view. We may also have an allusion to ecological boats, the solar boat. Everything and every opinion counts for this wall. Let's try to mix and make this Beaten».
Although Xavier Franck has only just started work, the project is already a few months old. The place where this mural is being painted made it necessary to apply for a license to the company Infraestruturas de Portugal, which manages the railway line. There were meetings, on-site visits of technicians, and all of that took time.
Much less time will take the work to be finished. Xavier Franck estimates that "in 15 days", there will be a new look at the Ria Formosa.
Photos: Carolina Serralha, Inês Melo and Laura Augusto, ETIC_Algarve students
Comments