ECHANGEUR 22

THE IDEA:

Indeed, it all began in 2020, when the idea of the "The Artist-Gardener's Practical Handbook" was born. The project is based on the goal of sharing my universe and practices as an artist-gardener. Each "practice" shares an idea, a concept, a methodology that I apply in my artistic and philosophical process. The "The Artist-Gardener's Practical Handbook" starts as an artist's book, sharing the story of my artistic research, my works, and inviting the public to become more of an artist-gardener, meaning: to cultivate and understand realities.

This type of artist or person is interested in the workings of the universe, the movements of space and time, the dynamics of life and death, relationships, "what is 'reality'" and "how are they constructed." From an investigative approach to myself, I was interested in using my time at Echangeur22 to articulate, systematize, and consciously communicate everything I had already thought and produced as an artist.

METHODOLOGY:

Thus, I revisited all the notes I have accumulated since the beginning of my research in 2017. The research encompasses the fields of ecology, psychology, philosophy, and physics, creating a holistic reflection on the allegories of how the universe works. The residency led to the organization of all my ideas over the years: scattered papers transcribed into a single notebook, sketches that were digitized, concepts that gave rise to mind maps, as well as the structuring of "practices" and chapters that later composed the book. Through the meetings at Echangeur22, I had the opportunity to share my ideas and questions, not only concerning the handbook but also regarding the axes of my conceptual research, my formal practice, as well as the professional and commercial issues of my work.

RESULTS:

Finally, the first "product" of the project materialized as a written production of 128 pages: "The Artist-Gardener's Practical Handbook - VOLUME I: How to Start Cultivating Worlds." The artistic-academic book was presented as a final thesis for my Bachelor in Visual Arts at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. The defense took place in August of this year 2023, receiving the highest evaluation from the jury, as well as their recommendation for the publication of the work. For future developments, I envision producing other volumes, their publications, as well as realizing the Handbook in other media, such as a video series, a rhizomatic website, or a podcast. The book and other information about the defense are available here: https://www.amora.studio/tcc