PINHOLE CIRCULATION < LAC - Laboratório de Actividades Criativas

PINHOLE CIRCULATION

Património através do buraco da agulha is an LAC project that aims to enhance – by rediscovering and reinventing the imagery of Stenopic Photography – a diverse horizon of listed buildings of recognized historical, architectural and cultural importance, as well as to develop and preserve this primordial photographic recording technique, which has made a name for itself in the creative panorama of contemporary photography due to its unique conceptual and formal qualities that are otherwise unattainable.
By taking large-scale stenographic photographs, the aim is to enhance the identity and collective memories of the built heritage: from this perspective, the aim is to preserve the heritage, contribute to the territorial qualification and training of audiences through artistic creation.

This project follows on logically from the numerous training, artistic creation and research activities in the field of stenographic photography carried out by LAC.
Since 2009, large-scale images have been taken of some of Lagos’ monuments, the result of adapting a closed-box van into a mobile camera, creating monochrome images measuring around 3.15m in length and 1.10m in height.

Stenopic photography, also known as pinhole photography, is a technique whereby photographs are taken without the aid of lenses, i.e. where light enters a darkroom through a small hole.

In 2015 we started the PATRIMÓNIO ATRAVÉS DO BURACO DA AGULHA project, the aim of which was to make large-scale stenopic photographic records, with the aim of highlighting classified buildings of recognized historical, architectural and cultural importance from a wide and significant range of Portugal’s built heritage.

For two years, the built heritage of the following Portuguese towns was recorded: Lisbon, Évora, Mourão, Elvas, Paderne, Sagres, Lindoso, Porto, Braga, Guimarães, Santa Maria da Feira, Batalha, Almourol, Buçaco, Penedono, Bragança, Almeida, Trancoso, Aguiar da Beira, Linhares da Beira, Sabugal, Sortelha, Belmonte and Castelo Novo.
The entire process has been documented and can be consulted on the page
www.pinholelab.blogspot.com

This resulted in a collection of 21 large photographs in exhibition format, which has already been presented at the Lagos Cultural Center and the Portuguese Photography Center in Porto.

Naturally, we intend to continue making these rare photographs visible for their beauty, by holding national and international exhibitions.
We are also looking to establish partnerships with organizations in order to enhance and promote Portuguese heritage and culture.

This project is part of the European directives for the constitution of cultural programming and its privileged areas, with export potential, combining various productions, equipment and cultural and artistic spaces with each other, in the enhancement of identity elements and bearers of collective memories, of which the entire built heritage is part: in this perspective, the aim is to preserve heritage, contribute to territorial qualification and the formation of audiences, through artistic creation.
The Directorate General for Cultural Heritage recognized the relevant interest of the project submitted.

PATRIMÓNIO THROUGH THE HOLE OF THE NEEDLE exhibition at the Ajuda National Palace in the D. João IV and Ambassadors rooms from March 1st to 31st.

This exhibition includes a selection of 10 photographs of listed buildings, under the supervision of the DGPC – Directorate General for Cultural Heritage, approx.
110cmx300cm, including direct negatives, direct positives and contact positives, on paper and photographic film, from among the 35 photographs that were taken throughout the project, recorded in 25 locations in Portugal between Sagres and Bragança, rediscovering various listed monuments through long photographic exposures without the aid of lenses (stenopic photography, aka pinhole photography), where light enters a darkroom through a small orifice.
pinhole photography), where light enters a darkroom through a small hole, projecting an image from the outside inside.