The frame above was captured by me during an exploration of shelters in Fontaínhas.
While walking on a path near a tunnel that once accommodated an old train line, I found a cat. After that, I noticed a significant number of stray cats in Fontaínhas, seeking refuge in the surroundings.
On another occasion, while exploring Google Maps, I identified a place called "Pedra dos Gatinhos" on the opposite side of the river in Gaia, along the riverbank.
Consequently, I decided to study both locations to delve into the concepts of shelters and the presence of cats in those areas.
Location 1: Fontainhas
Side 1: Porto
During the exploration, I discovered several cats living in Fontainhas, transforming the area into a shelter.
Location 2: Pedra dos Gatinhos
Side 2: Vila Nova de Gaia
Discovered on Google Maps, named Pedra dos Gatinhos, it is situated directly across from Fontaínhas on the opposite bank.
Drawing inspiration from Francis Alys' methodology, my approach integrates poetic elements, urban intervention, and video documentation.
Specifically influenced by Alys' work "Miradores", where he presents two sides of a cityscape on the same screen using a split-screen technique, I plan to present footage in two sides.
In a similar technique, my project employs a split-screen format to showcase Fontaínhas and Pedra dos Gatinhos, two locations on opposite sides of the Douro River.
Inspired by his themes, I plan to explore more the essence of urban spaces and shelters on theses places, as well as the coexistence among stray cats, the city and human interference.
Exploring the intersection of art and space, my project aims to investigate how these spaces influence the existence of cats and their interaction with the environment.
Focusing on the notion that space is more than a physical container, like a gesture of care towards a cat, an offering of food, or an interaction with others, including humans.
This approach beyond conventional conceptions of space, aiming to understand the meaning and influence of these more subtle interactions within the context of the environment in which the cats inhabit.
The Portuguese duo Mariana Caló and Francisco Queimadela, in their installation 'Inhabitants of Inhabitants – The cats of Agramonte graveyard,' served as inspiration for the project.
In this installation, a video captures cats in the cemetery, inhabiting the place as their own shelter.
The video has been utilized as an artistic reference for the images produced by me in the project.
References
ALYS, Francis. Miradores. Francis Alÿs. Avaliable: <https://francisalys.com/miradores/>. Access: 7 jan. 2024.
ALYS, Francis. Don't cross the bridge before you get to the river. Francis Alÿs. Avaliable: <https://francisalys.com/dont-cross-the-bridge-before-you-get-to-the-river/>. Access: 7 jan. 2024.
Heidegger, M. Art and space. Man and World, 1973.
CALÓ, Mariana; QUEIMADELA, Francisco. Inhabitants of Inhabitants. Mariana Caló e Francisco Queimadela. Available: <https://marianacalo-franciscoqueimadela.com/portfolio/habitantes-de-habitantes/>. Access: 7 jan. 2024.
Haraway, Donna J. When Species Meet. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2008. 440 p.
Adams, Carol J.. The Sexual Politics of Meat: A Feminist-Vegetarian Critical Theory. Bloomsbury Revelations. Bloomsbury Academic, 2024. 336 p.
Sontag, Susan. On Photography. Penguin Books, 2010.
Comilang, Stephanie. Search for Life: Migration as a More Than Human Event. Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid, Espanha, 2023-2024.