Patrícia Geraldes (PT)

In May the artist Patrícia Geraldes from Porto joined the BIEN residency program. The focus of her artistic research is the ancient relationship between Humanity and Nature, using materials and natural resources found in the forests, mountains and beaches, developing installations that invoke notions of sustainability and ancestry. Through participation of local communities, the project revives ancient textile practices and fosters mindful creation. It uncovers women’s histories and traditions, reconnecting with ancestral wisdom and ecological consciousness.

Slow growth slow art slow down

The residency merges textile, fiber, land, and environmental art, culminating in the slow art movement, which addresses contemporary challenges. Patricia Geraldes explores the human-nature connection, following her ethos, which is strongly aligned with sustainable practices and fostered by her ongoing exploration of natural raw materials such as flax, raw wool, linen threads, vines, and wicker.

In collaboration with local artists, artisans, and craftswomen, her biocentric approach revives ancient methods of textile crafting, fostering mindful creation. Community storytelling uncovers women's histories and sisterhood narratives. By exploring and comparing memories, traditions of botanical remedies, and early plant-fiber rituals, the project seeks to reveal forgotten knowledge.

Due to the historical integration of plant fibers into the female experience and women's communities, the project calls for a reconnection with ancestral wisdom, where textile practices act as cultural heritage and ecological consciousness guardians. By reviving these traditions, the space for intergenerational exchange is created, where knowledge is not only passed down but also reshaped to meet the present.