O.R.N.I.’S
Winning Project
Artist residency and installations, performances on the theme of cycling
March 2024, Bairro da Tabaqueira, Sintra, Portugal
LEPAC, Art and Mobility, curated by @zet.gallery
Floor painting, modified bicycles
The residency, originally named “Objetos Rolantes Não
Identificados”, set out to explore a fresh narrative in the Tabaqueira neighborhood by blending bicycles with the retrofuturistic theme of UFOs. The goal was to craft unusual objects to spark curiosity and convey diverse stories through wheeled creations.
However, upon settling in Tabaqueira, we discovered that bicycles had historically been underused, as the neighborhood embodied the ideal 15-minute city: everything was within walking distance, rendering bicycles unfamiliar and even stigmatized.
Consequently, we shifted the focus of our initial plan and sought to narrate a different story, one highlighting the absence or scarcity of bicycles in the area.
These creations also allowed us to delve into artistic influences from the early 20th century, contemporaneous with the founding of the Tabaqueira neighborhood, using repurposed objects as our medium.
Through the development of four artworks using recycled materials and the initiation of a cycling route, we aimed to introduce a new narrative to enhance the accessibility and inclusivity of bicycles, with the aspiration that this project would instigate fresh participatory dynamics.
