The Parish of Tavira opens a visitable collection of Sacred Art, on December 8th, at 16 pm. From that moment on, the exhibition will be open to the public at the Church of Santa Maria do Castelo, during the normal opening hours for the public at this location.
Entitled “On earth as it is in heaven” (a passage from the Gospel of St. Matthew – 6,10 – and one of the excerpts from the Our Father), “it makes even clearer the strong connection of the city of Tavira to the Catholic Faith,” he explains. the Parish of this Algarve city.
In the words of its curators, Marco Lopes (director of the Municipal Museum of Faro) and Daniel Santana (Heritage Technician of Tavira City Council), there is «a strong religious and spiritual charge, which has a natural repercussion in the history, architecture and art of Tavira, both in the conquest of the territory, in the administration of temples, in the construction of new religious buildings and in the social habits of the local community, which participates in liturgical services or processions».
Thus, this ""On earth, as in heaven" means that the Church, as an interpreter of the divine will, establishes the rules and behavior of society and the ministers of the Faith, translating them later into a series of artistic objects that must be respected and adored».
This venue, which will now be inaugurated, was closed to the public for some time, and renovation work was carried out on the exhibition space, «using the same rooms and keeping some of the objects», explain the curators.
«In addition to new furniture, which highlights and enhances the pieces, without forgetting conservation issues, this exhibition center will have explanatory texts, which draw a common thread between the history of Tavira and the local religious life, during the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries ».
Likewise, care was taken that the pieces were not limited to "a laconic legend, with date and titles, but a brief description of their historical and artistic significance."
All these texts will also be translated into English, as the city is very "frequented by foreign tourists", who will thus be able to follow "all the reasoning behind the exhibition and the identity of the pieces", stress the two responsible for the preparation. and organization of the visitable collection, which, in due course, will also have «a catalogue, with more developed texts in relation to the themes and pieces on display».
Visitors will find «essentially pieces of a religious character, with devotional functions, used in the context of liturgical ceremony or as elements of worship», explain Marco Lopes and Daniel Santana.
From «paintings, to major religious images, passing through extraordinary pieces of nanbam art, vestments, books and jewellery, many of them originals from Santa Maria, others from Santiago and some from São Paulo», all will be accessible and with information that will explain the its origin and function.
«The reason for choosing these pieces is based on two criteria, one chronological and the other thematic, which go hand in hand», refer the two specialists in heritage and museology.
«The history of the city of Tavira is inseparable from religious life, from the outset to the church of Santa Maria. At the beginning of the exhibition, we wanted to bear witness to the entry of Saintiaguista knights and the cult of the martyrs, but also to the international contact of this locality, evident in works or artists that have distant origins. Then we enter the baroque, with pieces from the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries, which place us in a time of artistic luxury, of many religious buildings in Tavira and the appearance of various brotherhoods, in which staging and spectacle dominate inside the temples».
The selection of the pieces was, from the curators' perspective, the biggest challenge, as it was necessary to pay attention to their number and quality, in order to choose those that could fit in the rooms reserved for this exhibition.
«There was a well-defined idea of the themes, which had to be adapted to a small space», they clarify, but consider that «because it is a relatively well-known group of pieces, either because it had been in previous exhibitions or because of the research carried out on its back, the preparation did not have great difficulties».
Miguel Neto, Parish Priest of Tavira, was, of course, involved in the project, having been, since his arrival in this Parish in 2017, one of his greatest concerns, the safeguarding of the heritage and its availability to the public in conditions that ensured enjoyment and understanding of the pieces and their relationship with the city's history, as well as the safety and recovery of this vast and important collection.
"Since my concern was to find ways, namely in terms of financial resources, to be able to invest in a project of this type", explains the priest, noting that "the income generated by the entrance fee and by the ARTgilão store are those that effectively paid for this exhibition, as there is no investment of public money in this project and he puts together the 22 thousand euros».
The Parish of Tavira has hired two restoration techniques to improve the work of preserving its spaces and heritage, and this work has borne fruit. It has also generated some partnerships, namely with Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Tavira, with whom some other exhibitions have been held.
«I believe that communion is generated in joint work, a sincere, honest work, aimed at valuing the heritage, but also the sense of community, because what I would like most, at the end of my journey through these lands, was to realize that the people are able to abdicate themselves, their particular idiosyncrasies, to create value for everyone, to be true witnesses of their history, their tradition, preserving them», he concludes.
Marco Lopes and Daniel Santana also consider that this work, which is now public, «is above all an act of respect and dignification of the heritage and historical memory, both of the city and of the parish», as well as «a sign of the new times , in which these treasures begin to be valued from an exhibition point of view, but also from their conservation and touristic dissemination».
And they add: «If today the churches are worth in themselves as spaces of cultural and tourist interest, this exhibition expands the offer of the tour itinerary in religious spaces and in the historic center of Tavira».
And all – healers and priest – are in agreement on one point: the work must not end here. "This is an important step for the inventory of these pieces and others that are in Tavirense churches, for monitoring the state of conservation and recovery of those in need and for opening new centers of sacred art," say the curators, considering even though «it can be a starting point for a policy of protection, study and enhancement of these artistic assets, which are part of local history and have enormous potential in the museological and touristic aspects».
From the parish of Tavira, its parish priest Miguel Neto believes that this is just another step in the work that lies ahead: «I would like, one day, to be able to point to Tavira as an example in terms of heritage conservation, and for that , I count on the collaboration of everyone, as this is a work that is worthwhile, especially because we are not thinking only about ourselves, but about future generations, who deserve to have a special city, where Faith is an identity mark, with a religious heritage properly taken care of – as ARTgilão's slogan says, “The Art of a City of Faith”.
Therefore, I have to thank Marco Lopes and Daniel Santana for their work and generous collaboration, who have been committed to making this initiative a reality from the start, as well as Marta Pereira and Maria Inês, our restoration techniques and Sandra Louro , who was in charge of the museography and the collaborators of ARTgilão and David Gonçalves, largely responsible for the assembly and practical implementation of this entire project.
And he doesn't forget his parishioners: «I thank all those who collaborated more directly and all those who are always supportive or who challenge my perseverance and capacity for work. Without them, nothing would be done, and nothing would make sense, because I say again: what matters most is to cement the sense of community through respect and the enjoyment of heritage by all».
The curators consider this “a challenging and enriching project”, highlighting the team work carried out and leaving “a final word to Father Miguel Neto, who has assumed the artistic heritage of his parish as a priority measure, in which this museological project will be a of their meritorious achievements'.
TECHNICAL DATA SHEET OF THE VISIBLE COLLECTION:
Organization – ARTGilão Tavira, Lda
General Coordination – Fr. Miguel Neto
Curatorship – Daniel Santana, Marco Lopes
Texts – Daniel Santana, Marco Lopes
Translation – Sandra Moreira, Joana Venâncio, Luís Santos
Conservation and Restoration – Marta Pereira, Maria Inês Costa
Graphic design – Sandra Louro
Editing – David Gonçalves, Greek Letters
Lighting – David Gonçalves
Sponsors: Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Tavira, Tavira City Council
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