Studio 459

Studio 459 & Metal Culture (2023)

This residency delved into local histories and stories related to Portuguese medicinal plants through fieldwork exploring found organic materials and documentation with craft and technology. With Studio 459 in Portugal, the project explored the rural local landscape surrounding the studio and took trips to protected areas such as Serras de Aire e Candeeiros Natural Park. Recent ethnobotanical research in this location has uncovered spoken histories passed down from ancestors regarding memories of medicinal plants still used today which, even for some younger generations living in rural Portuguese areas, are important for those unable to access a pharmacy easily. 

Such a juxtaposition of contemporary and traditional practices is reflected in the outcomes of the project, which experimented with collecting and researching plant samples and documentation in natural environments with collations of written stories, drawings and photography. The residency utilised photogrammetry to model 3D visualisations of vegetation and their surroundings to explore how we navigate the interface of our bodies with these environments.