Navalha – Associação Cultural

100 years of Vasco: What’s Next?

On the importance of continuity in mobility projects

In the heart of Aveiro (Portugal) is the house of transdisciplinary artist and social activist Vasco Branco (1919-2014). Today, this house-museum is the VIC // Aveiro Arts House and is filled with unique stories that bring out the artistic, cultural and political contexts of Aveiro and Portugal in contemporaneity. It is also where cultural association Navalha is hosted.

“We believe in human contact, we believe that physical presence is very powerful.” —Hugo Branco

In the frame of iPortunus Houses, Hugo Branco, artistic director of VIC // Aveiro Arts House, has hosted collage artist Javier Sasso (aka Lagrima), cultural professional Lana Gunjić and, artist and fashion designer Viktorija Zilinskaite.

Mobility is not only an important part of the association’s work, it is a vital part of how the community grows, Hugo explains, “We believe in human contact, we believe that physical presence is very powerful.” Navalha makes use of many virtual tools, to collaborate, to work, to exchange and build networks. But, for Hugo and the association, these tools are always complementary and cannot replace the importance of physical presence. “Collaboration and togetherness are paramount,” says Hugo, “because as an organisation, there is a strong belief in an interconnected world where artists participate actively to design a better future for all.” The organisation is deeply engaged in initiatives such as participatory arts projects, cultural programming, audiovisual publishing and international cooperation programmes.

Artists and cultural actors participating in iPortunus Houses have felt this, and their residency has enriched them both on a professional and personal level.

Artist Javier Sasso (aka Lagrima), whose collages and illustrations express creativity in connection with heritage, combining traditional and contemporary elements, explains how Vasco Branco’s work connects well with the whole idea of mobility itself: from the extraordinary archives made accessible in the house, to the openness to host different practices into its space, and therefore to grow with the local community and the communities it hosts.

“At the heart of mobility is the possibility to explore and contribute to community.” —Lana Gunjić

Navalha strongly believes in the accessibility and decentralisation of culture. For this, they create the space for a participatory approach to culture, which is enabled, a.o. by a strong mobility programme rooted in the preservation of deeper relations among projects, spaces, individuals and institutions.

For Lana Gunjić, who visited from Belgrade, mobility is first and foremost about people: interacting with new people, learning from them, creating together, sharing new knowledge. “At the heart of mobility is the possibility to explore and contribute to community,” she says, explaining that it is important that mobility is international as it brings people outside of borders, which she adds, allows thinking outside the box. “It opens your horizons and helps you develop yourself on a professional and personal level,” she says, reflecting on her experience at the VIC // Aveiro Arts House, “you come back different from these mobility experiences”.

“Work is oftentimes a direct response to reality and mobility allows to see different realities, and therefore, the creation of a variety of responses one would have never been able to see.” —Viktorija Zilinskaite

Lithuanian visual artist Viktorija Zilinskaite has been developing a colourful collection which is both fashion design and visual art, drawing inspiration from the artistic legacy of Vasco Branco. Viktorija reflects on this residency and explains how she has been drawing inspiration, researching, and allowing to appreciate new things to re-imagine her own creative work. “Work is oftentimes a direct response to reality,” she says, “and mobility allows to see different realities, and therefore, the creation of a variety of responses one would have never been able to see.”

Physical presence and connections through mobility can bring continuity into collaborative projects, which has been the case for Lana. Previous work needs to have the space to continue its journey, to grow, and also, to exist in different spaces. “Creating opportunities for continuity is of utmost importance,” says Lana, “and mobility is one way to achieve this.”

Join the conversation on social media!

 What has been your experience of continuity in mobility projects? Could you achieve continuity? What challenges did you face to have continuity with the people you have collaborated with?

#continuityinmobility #mobilityforcommunitygrowth