Our Land is the sea
From March 10 to August 9, the Centro Cultural de Belém presents the exhibition Our Land Is the Sea — The sensitive construction of the coastline, curated by Miguel Figueira and André Tavares, coordinator of Fishing Architecture research group. This exhibition invites us to reverse our habitual gaze and think about the land from the perspective of the sea, highlighting the need to better understand the spaces in which we live and to help adjust the ways in which we transform them. From this perspective, we can learn about the complexity of the relationships between natural forces, human activities and the functioning of ecosystems, proposing a renewed and integrated gaze about the things we build in relation to one of the planet’s most critical spaces: the sea.
Visitors to the exhibition in Garagem Sul will find a wide variety of objects, from films to architectural models, archival drawings, historical books, photographs, infographics, miniatures of boats and video installations. The exhibition is organized in several sections: Sensitive Line, Sand, Rock, City, High, Shore, Legislation, Surf. The examples are concentrated, mainly but not exclusively, on the Portuguese coast. These observations converge in a synthesis – city – which is presented in two project proposals for Figueira da Foz. These projects reveal how architectural thinking is fundamental to determine and transform the relationship between the city and the sea.
