· Workshop · Angeiras · Octopus

Octopus Choreographies

Workshop in Angeiras, Portugal September 22–27, 2024

The image of a giant octopus overlaps a picture with small houses and fishing traps.

The fishing community of Angeiras is a case study that gives a sense of the complex relationship between marine ecosystems and coastal architecture. In functional terms, its characteristic stone houses, built near the beach, are used in conjunction with vessels operating small-scale fisheries that target a variety of species including pouting, sea bass, shrimp, lobster, and octopus. This workshop will focus on octopus catches as a means to collect and represent a variety of scientific and architectural data. The work will be divided into three areas: the sea, the shore, and the market. In the sea section, the natural environment of the species will be addressed, with a focus on how octopus are trapped in fishing gear, and how the fisherfolk use their tackle. The shore section will look at the deployment of the boats, and how the equipment is disposed in relation to the buildings that support the operations. In the market section, attention will be paid to the weight of the catches, their commercial value, and the relationship with other fisheries. In the three areas, octopus and fisherfolk move in unique choreographies that will be scrutinized. The facts and figures will be recorded in various ways at every stage of the fishing process, with drawings used to interlink the resulting narratives. At the end of the workshop, the aim is to have produced a comprehensive description of the ongoing dynamics.

Check out the open call

Informations:
fish@arq.up.pt