EuroFabrique Art Camp Cerveira

23rd–27th of September 2024

From 23 to 27 September 2024, Vila Nova de Cerveira hosted a European curatorial laboratory in which 33 students from 11 European art schools in 7 countries explored the idea of Europe through artistic practices. The aim was to collectively reflect on how art and design can be used to address the European continent’s most pressing issues.

The primary aim of the Art Camp was to collectively develop a curatorial manifesto for EuroFabrique. Participants explored how art and design could address some of Europe’s most pressing issues, such as climate change, social justice, and political instability. Through this process, the camp aimed to deepen the curatorial axes of EuroFabrique, fostering a comprehensive approach to using creative practices as a means of social and political engagement.

Comprised of in person experimental workshops, field work, talks, and assemblies, it was conducted by Susana Gaudêncio (artist, researcher and adjunct professor at School of Architecture, Art & Design of the University of Minho) and Sofia Gonçalves (designer, researcher and adjunct professor at the Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Lisbon), and is promoted by FBAC´s curatorial and technical teams.
It was based on a methodology consolidated in the concepts of reverse flow and situated knowledge. This approach intended to favour a relational and intuitive creative process, based on field explorations in the parish of Covas, creative moments and meetings with art professionals, curators and political and social activists. The “EuroFabrique Art Camp” represented a stage in the construction of a European creative community that is committed to and reflective of the challenges of the 21st century.

The results of the week’s creative immersion were presented by the participants in the Auditorium of the Cerveira Cultural Forum on the last day of the event, 27^th September. The session was public and open to the community.

At the same time, a seminar was held on the 26^th and 27^th of September, bringing together all the project’s partners to work on prospects for its future.