The Paradox Of Our Times
The central theme of this edition is the paradox of the times we live in. “We understand that there is an urgent need to raise the awareness of the population and the artistic community in order to build a plural, aggregate, fair, hopeful and creative world, at a time when planetary sustainability and human life are in fragile equilibrium”, explains the festival’s organization. Consequently, the pieces created for this year’s edition try to reflect on humanism, democratic values and to incorporate the sense of freedom, both individual and collective.
Once the basic principles are settled, the underlying idea remains as “what is the city of Viseu and what could it become in relation to the local, the national and the international”. For this reason, the festival includes active citizenship reflexions and social architecture models to increase its critical ability.
No need to say that Jardins Efémeros brings the population closer to artistic expressions such as sound art, installations and performances – rarely presented in public space and for free – in an attempt to democratize these avant-garde practices. Such practices are designed to interact, dialogue and transform the historic centre of Viseu and its iconic spaces: the Cathedral, museums, chapels, public buildings, gardens and plazas, materializing a new idea of garden, which precisely gives name to the festival.