The artistic work produced (images, video, texts, other) is expected to highlight a shepherd’s life in two European mountains, Serra da Estrela and the Alps.

It will be displayed at the subsequent PES_EC events [Mun.CB, Castelo Branco (PT – July 2024), ACROSS LANDSCAPE AGRICULTURE AND BIODIVERSITY, Campagne Première à Arles (FR – Autumn 2024) and FINAL SEMINAR in Malpartida de Cáceres (ES – Spring 2025)].

The HUMUS Residency has a Part 1 in Serra da Estrela (PT) (June/July 2024), where the artist is expected to follow a shepherd taking his sheep and goats to upper pastures (a trip of about 12 km, lasting about 5 hours). Part 2 of the Residence will take place in the Alpes de Haute Provence (FR) (2024, precise dates to be confirmed).

HUMUS

Nomad artistic Residency between the geoparks of the Alpes de Haute Provence and Estrela. On the slopes of the Serra da Estrela, some shepherds still practice transhumance. At the beginning of Summer, they climb the mountain with their herds, staying at pastures of higher altitude for three months. They repeat a movement that has been going on for thousands of years.

The term “transhumance” derives from “trans” (other) and “humus” (earth). It seems that the term “human” may also come from “humus”, meaning a creature with its feet on the ground as opposed to gods in the sky. Shepherds have their feet on the ground because they live at the rhythm of the seasons and ecological time. They know the relationship between one pasture and another, the balance between carrying capacity and the need to feed the animals. Transhumance is of crucial importance for mountain regions. It is important for biodiversity and landscape conservation. It is also important for local development from a tourism perspective. This Residency is shared between Serra da Estrela (PT) and the Alpes de Haute Provence (FR). It focusses on pastoralism from different perspectives, through the eyes of an artist. This Action recalls the freedom associated with the work of shepherds and seeks to understand the mountain through the eyes of shepherds.

Plus d'infos: https://projetoentreserras.wordpress.com/humus/