Taciana Gouveia, is now a cultural producer of the House of Culture in Santa Cruz, Madeira. With the phoenix project, that started in April 2014, she intends revitalize the cultural programming of this space that was once a reference at the regional level.
In that context appears the phoenix project?
Taciana Gouveia: I came back to live in Madeira and through an invitation of the Municipality of Santa Cruz, was a kind of mutual agreement, came to work in the area of production, management and cultura mediation at Quinta do Revoredo. Hence the phoenix project that was thought to this house, a place I've known since he was 9 years old, it was here that I began to paint with teacher Rita Rodrigues, and gave it this name, because although it may seem commonplace, what is intended here is to implement a change, is the rebirth of all a healthy, constant cultural activity with aesthetic validity and quality. Being, that the House of Culture in Santa Cruz in the 80s and 90s was a major center of reference in particular, under the direction of Antonio Rodrigues and José Baptista Fernandes, the project is with this aim of developing a line of curating, with creation of a logo for the house of culture and a visual identity and graphic line for the Quinta do Revoredo. To this end was an exhaustive work in this direction in partnership with two designers, Luísa Oliveira and Luísa Vieira, because the projects that are written and best developed if not well communicated not reach people.
But what are the main objectives?
TG: The House of Culture aims to be a living space with a continuous and assiduous programming, but open to community. The Phoenix also aims this premise, the restore of protocol synergies with local institutions and not only, we know of the actual financial difficulties of the city council and how difficult it is to work without money, anyway, I'm apologist that with creativity and goodwill can do much and it was so. It began to make works of restructuring in the building, profound eve, were recovering facades and walls that were filled with humidity, due to the proximity of the sea, we tidied up and organized the estate, in making the spaces more spacious and functional for you actually begin to effect all the programming we have planned.
Tell me about the programming that is spanning in several poles.
TG: Yes, has several points. Cyclical exposures may be of the most varied artistic expressions from sculpture to painting, there is room for everything, since the works have validity and aesthetic quality, the artists are more than welcome and we are open to new projects. We have no prejudices in working with new artists provided their work is good, we liked to promote those who do not have free access to cultural venues, this is one of the valences, is a job that I am developing at the level of curation. The educational aspect of the service is another of the poles, it is essential to approach such a work of art / spectator / viewer. In this context, we are developing a series of creative workshops, we received this time two groups of children, two distinct schools, where we provided several hours weekly for each group and we believed several activities accordingly. Once we have this space, we have a magnificent garden, a beautiful outdoor amphitheater, not to mention the house itself, which have 3 floors to be experienced and lived. The program covers some musical projects and we work more, we helped organize cyclic festivals through co-production, of suggestions that want us to do and we added our services, since that is consistent with the mission of the house of culture. Already been the case, had two outdoor concerts, one was a solidary event organized by three teachers of special education in the county, with the intention of obtaining funds for equipment, it is an area with many needs, since are children with special needs who require specific materials and we benefited from the presence of many people.
When you took on the artistic direction of the house that there was a culture did you notice the divorce between the public and space?
TG: Yes, this rebirth of a healthy cultural dynamics, not undoing previous work with the limited resources they had over the years, I noticed that, except for occasional events organized by the local high school. I realized also, obviously, the Quinta do Revoredo was no longer a reference and therefore the phoenix project's ultimate mission to reverse this idea, attract more artists and people. We want to work with the community and we are with the doors wide open in this direction .
Yes, that other events are scheduled?
TG: We now have an exhibition of Dio David, it is an author with great aesthetic quality, is a reference and is an emerging artist. On another floor, we have a installation of the architect Joelene de Freitas, titled "up in the mountains, I'll find my peace, i promise" is a very interesting work, is sustainable, since it was whole built in card is a structure suggesting a path to the light, to the sea, the artist launches a challenge, reflection and is a work that is need people to come experience. This installation is interactive, she left a series of post-it and people can write what they feel at that moment after making all that path.
In September we will have the exhibition of a recognized photojournalist, who is Lucília Monteiro, the opening of this show will be graced by Roberto Moniz, because this has to do with this idea, is a contemporary approach to a traditional shed, then I found interesting this "marriage ". Later this month, on the 12th we will release an album, "Broken Dreams" by Ricardo Teixeira Alves and we still have another very interesting event, a workshop of building beers, built on the Madeira Beer festival. On the 13th, there will be the launch of a book, José Vieira, "strange coincidences", is an author who writes under a pseudonym and I can say that in February 2015 we'll have an artist with a national and international career that I immensely respect, since that has a very valuable work, but I do not whish to advance the name just yet.
