Thinking of natural spaces as spaces for creation and artistic experience is the main objective of A Defesa da Natureza (The Defense of Nature). Developed by BoCA since 2021, this project brings local and artistic communities together, calling on them to contribute to a forest of works of art. After passing through Lisbon, Almada, Faro, Penafiel, Braga, and Leiria, it debuts in Barreiro for a planting in the Mata Nacional da Machada.
On January 31, BoCA will take A Defesa da Natureza (Defense of Nature) to the Machada National Forest in Barreiro for the first time to promote the planting of native trees and shrubs, which will help control invasive exotic plants.
The activity is free and open to anyone interested, upon prior registration by January 29. More information will be sent after registration.
Program:
10:00 a.m. – Reception of participants and start of activities
1:00 p.m. – Closing
ON THE DEFENSE OF NATURE
A participatory project conceived ten years ago through which BoCA combines artistic creation and programming with the planting of trees in natural spaces. Created in 2021, “A Defesa da Natureza” (The Defense of Nature) comprises: on the one hand, the planting of native plant species in different municipalities across the country to build a “forest of works of art”; on the other hand, inviting artists from different artistic fields to create performances in natural spaces through the cycle “Quero Ver as Minhas Montanhas” (I Want to See My Mountains).
Based on the legacy of “7,000 Oaks” by Joseph Beuys, a key figure in ecological art, BoCA designs a sustainable plantation involving the collaboration of artists and the local population. By creating a direct correspondence between generating (natural) life and generating (artistic) life, each plantation establishes an integrated concept that unifies the natural and the artistic, in a combination of art and environment, biodiversity and sustainability.
