Djanira Costa is the face of the Office of the arts and personal development, in São Pedro de Moel, in Marinha Grande. In addition, it is also the mentor Interartes project, a cultural bridge que aims to promote the work of portuguese artists in Brazil and Brazilian artists in Portugal. An artistic project que has gained visibility on both sides of the Atlantic, thanks to the love that this Rio de Janeiro architect has for our country .
Why create an office of arts and personal development in São Pedro de Moel ?
Djanira Costa : In 2009 I was one of the managers of a construction, had a lot of responsibility over 50 people to coordinate, only when I got there the work was already rather late and had to work hard to put it in order . One day while doing an inspection, I lower my head and it dripped a drop of blood on the sidewalk and it was like an awakening, I was glad it happened because if it haven't dip I had not decided what I did. I thought, this is my life here, thay are literally taking my blood and I cannot stay that way and so I asked my boss a holiday. He just released me in 2010 halfway through the year, I asked someone else to be relocated in the work and returned to the firm with quieter projects, the project area, Which is mine. I then decided to take a trip and a place to empty me. I looked at the map, my english is just not very strong, felt to be in a country where they speak the language and had to be there for twenty days waas difficult, then decided to go to Portugal. I meet Lisbon with fado in the ear, I looked like I was on another planet . Then it was time to meet the central region and told me when I got here I through a little place hidden and different, São Pedro de Moel. It was a day full of sun, as the rays were passing by eucalyptus and pine there was waking in me something I do not know what it was , I felt free and well , because in Brazil we do not have that Kind of forest and it was like I returned to the place I had ever known. I cannot explain why. I came back with paper and watercolor under my arm, went to the seashore and painted. Well past twenty days, it was time to go back , but when i arrived in Brazil missed the smell of coffee , the forest that is very special because it is the intersection between the sea breeze and the smell of pine and had saudades. I decided to go back in December and stayed about twenty days, while up and down, I met a girl who worked in a shop , but she was going to close. So I decided que at moment to rent the space, I thought , if I give my own blood to other's people projects, why can I believe in my dreams ? When working for others you always benefit them, something you work for you can even benefit others and it was very striking.
But the store has a component of craftsmanship .
DC : In Maranhão , in a craft fair , I met an Indian who was working with açai seeds , Which were great because in Portugal I had to take something que nobody else had. I also met a lady, who welcomed me in her home, Janira, she is an artisan of golden grass and I wanted to know the people who did it, then what happened? She said I could go to her house to show me who are the people who do this, I said all right. And I went . She took me to her village where everyone is together, each with their materials and make the pieces, then rent a car to take people to the fair . They are very humble people, so when I arrived at night and had bed ready in the living room, and I did not saw the house lay at that time was a period of much work and stress was really tired so I fell asleep fast. When I woke up , looked around and saw a cement floor, they call it vermilion , was a house with kitchen , she slept there on the network, the daughters slept in a single bed in the corner, had a fridge and stove and a hose outside. I cried because this woman did not know me and I ' m getting the better of her. It moved me and When I asked where i could bath, she said she had no bathroom , but could bind the rubber from the well. Janira started the engine and was the best shower I've ever had in my life, I felt like I was washing my soul, when I left was another woman. I was only going to staying at her house one day and stayed for three. I thought, I have so much, but I received more from nothing. I was in love for by me her work , I bought the pieces, did my bills and went back to wor . Then I had to tell my parents, my brothers and friends that I would be three months out, my heart was pounding , we all met and I spoke what I was doing and they said how can you leave, you have your work, your family. The shop was rented and I returned to Portugal with all the stuff and sold everything .
So you saw that you could have a life here ?
DC : Here is complicated beyond the summer, I have a studio where I live too. Then in 2011 I started doing soirees for people who know the space and continued in 2012. Then decided to do something to raise capital funds to pay the store and organize tea parties and dinners of poetry in 2013 and I joined occupational therapy that is another area and I believe in, I think que being an architect is much more, but it is a vision I have.
When you decide to create the project Interartes ?
DC : In the beginning of the year of last year, one of the people who helped me appropriated the design of the soirees and started doing them for free, the partnership meant there was a financial resource for me out of the summer, I cannot spend any money I get the projects as a freelancer here, art is difficult for everyone, so I decided to create Interartes. I met Afonso Lopes Vieira and the project emerges from this dialogue in which he told me to do something big, also met Rui Mendes, in Coimbra, Which triggered people linked to the arts and how he goes on holiday to St Peter , gave me his contacts, told me to go ahead and do that in Brazil. I had to assemble everything from scratch, everywhere, contact these people, but when the doors start to open and you already have a loophole you pass through. At a certain moment I found on the internet a person named Zan Quaresma , who is an architect of São Paulo, he was a friend of my architects friends and I told him about the project , I sent all the stuff on the Interartes, because he was part of the the union of architects of São Paulo then they invited me to the exhibition at the headquarters. The house has history, was for the english workers who came to built the train station of the Light at the Paulista capital, I was amazed when i saw it , the audience and the architects were wonderful then and there I introduced the Portuguese artists .
How many artists have you taken ?
DC : There were four, Fatima Spinola, Carlos Reis, Gama Diniz and Sonia Santos. The works were safely and the exhibition was very successful . The Interartes came to unite people and meet others, one of those people was the secretary of culture of my municipality, I said I would like the children to see this project and how you can do better, not only to look and put on the wall, we did other shows in São Gonçalo , Rio de Janeiro and for a month we were there . In 2013 I decided to do Inteartes with Brazilian artists, with my work, Gutenberg Coelho, Luiz Hazediaz , Marciah Lubedin Campos and Marcos Paulo Barbosa, which were presented at the national restaurant through the initiative " art & table", in Coimbra and in Alcobaça , was in the local public library .
Now are you selecting more works ?
DC : Yes , well , the edition is ready . I actually have many works and São Pedro de Moel is small , I cannot be alone here, so I've gone to Lisbon looking for places too . I've done two contacts to create the Interartes in the capital, because it does not stop .
Then continuous the bridge between Portugal and Brazil and you'll do Interart in Lisbon .
DC : Yes, but inteartes Lisbon is only in 2015.
Will be only with artists from Brazil ?
DC : My idea is the que Interart join all the artists. But, I have to have room for it. I have to study how this would be done, I talk to many people, but I am a Brazilian , an alien in their world . I spoke with the secretary of culture of Marinha Grande, but he said the soirees must be made through an association, then you contact these entities, but they just want to promote themself and that does not helps . Then I see other options, I know que my mission is very large , so I face it, is a force greater than me. Then in September I go to Brazil , but only after the Copa, because people are very focused on it, the country is still , I'll take them at a time when people are available to look up mentally, examine and purchase the artists work. The repercussion of Interart 2013 was very large people came to me and said they had portuguese ancestors and the same thing back and forth, they looked at the work of the artists and it reminded of the places they visited in Brazil, is a rescue of memory, is able to Provide a time to people. I like this lightness of Interartes because making a difference is to talk to people .
https://www.facebook.com/ProjetoInterArtes?ref=hl
