Alvaredo is a special territory, we are comforted by the green mantle that covers the land, or by the shades of greens offered by the grapes. Within this local economy, where several families work the vineyards, prevails a strong relationship between the community, based on sharing. This project is a journey through the layers of the landscape and the stories of the people who live here. The day to day, the dynamics that build what identifies Alvaredo.
This project takes place based on a residency, an extensive field work, within the community. For a month I lived and was part of this parish, Alvaredo. On the different days of work, starting at Easter, there was an instant connection to those who live here, I was welcomed to become a part of it... I left feeling part of what I photographed.
Photography as a medium operates with a relationship of debate, between what an author seeks and what the community has to offer. Here, there is an incessant search, a redoubled attention to all movements. I spoke of the vineyard, a matter of important reflection, but it is also important to emphasize the strength of the river and its fisheries, or the activities that build the effort of daily toil. At five in the morning this community is on the river to see what has been trapped, if there are lampreys, then comes the daily work and later, at the end of the day, the vineyard. At the weekend, the effort continues, it is as if the territory had no rest, as if the land were always calling for those who take care of it.
As a photographer, with regard to methodology, a direct contact prevails, an enveloping provided to the subjects I deal with, in a delicate and dedicated path. The concern with what I think and the path that each photograph takes to the final narrative is part of a battle over a visual text that I underline, in a correspondence between what I photographed and what I present as a proposal.
The territory is constantly an allegory of the conceptual dimension, of the immersive poetics that the collection of photographs can deliver, in a threshold game between an understood reality and freedom of reasoning in the construction of the guiding line. As a documentary photographer, I want my speech to be a perspective of the fieldwork, for the people to be part of it.
João Gigante
inauguration of the photography exhibition and book release – 4 August - 19:00h
Born in Viana do Castelo, graduated in Fine Arts from the Faculty of Belas Artes in Porto and completed a Master's Degree in Audiovisual Communication (Photography) at Escola Superior de Música, Artes e Espectáculo from the Polytechnic Institute of Porto. He mantains his course among the practice of fine arts, having displayed his work in several exhibitions within the national and international artistic scene and the practice of production and organization of events and artistic projects and the projection and organization of projects of social and ethnographic level, maintaining its artistic and conceptual character. His work complements the different areas of plastic performance, like photography, video, sound design, installation and design. Developer of musical projects with highlights such as PHOLE and the sound plastic project ARAME (with Miguel Arieira). João is also the founding member and director of PARASITA Magazine (with Hugo Soares).
