Segar i cantar - Garba project
“Segar i cantar” is a public presentation in an exhibition format of the Garba project, a collective and experimental research platform. Drawing from productive processes of the Ebro Delta—such as rice and mollusk farming or the construction of traditional huts—it proposes techniques for material utilization and generation. Garba is a research project initiated in September 2023 in the Ebro Delta and co-directed by Sara de Ubieta, David Bestué, and Marc Navarro. The project’s goal is to highlight the importance of artistic research, beyond the final outcome of a work, as is often the case. For this reason, an initial presentation of the research was held early in the summer at the Baladre artists’ residence—managed by Lo Pati in the Ebro Delta—featuring an early selection of materials and working documents from the project’s three leaders. Now, the exhibition expands the narrative and includes collaborating artists to provide a new dimension to the research.
**Hats and Sculpture** // Artist Sara de Ubieta will present a new phase of her research on plant fibers and their use in design. After a brief research stay at the Museu de la Pauma in Mas de Barberans, de Ubieta has created a new series of garments based on the study and experimentation with locally cultivated fibers such as “borro” or “ginesta.” In addition to presenting her own creations, de Ubieta has collaborated with designers Jordina Bravo, Beatrice Oettiger, and Tim Johnson. She wanted to share her research with other creators who develop work linked to design with plant fibers.
Meanwhile, sculptor David Bestué will present a new phase of his sculptural research carried out within the framework of Garba. Bestué’s work is characterized by the use of pulverized materials as the raw matter of his sculptures. In this case, he uses a series of materials found scattered across the deltaic landscape and integrates them into a series of works in progress. Mussel shells, crushed oysters, mud, and rice flour become constructive materials for a series of sculptures that reference the human body and are displayed following the structure of a sculpture garden. Bestué understands these sculptures as living, evolving materials. Thus, with each new presentation, the sculptures are slightly modified or re-clad.
**Publishing Projects** // As part of “Segar i cantar,” Garba will launch two publishing projects. The first project involves editing a series of six posters conceived as a space for dialogue between creators and collectives operating in the Terres de l’Ebre. Each of these posters will feature the transcription of a conversation between an artist and a collective, as well as a graphic piece developed by the artist based on this exchange. These conversations will be published monthly from October to March 2025. During these six months, Lo Pati will serve as the distribution point for these conversations, which will be offered free of charge.
The second publishing project is a book by exhibition curator Marc Navarro, the third member of Garba. It’s based on research into collective transportation and its intersection with artistic practices, with a special focus on the Terres de l’Ebre. The publication, in book format, is a short essay that straddles the line between the alternative history of passenger transportation and a narrative on the relationship between art and transportation. The essay traverses various artistic manifestations that explore the issue of mobility, such as exhibitions held on trains and in stations, artistic actions at airports, or public space interventions.
**A Network of Collaborations** // The project is funded by the Daniel and Nina Carasso Foundation and Lo Pati – Centre d’Art Terres de l’Ebre, and supported by ESARDI (Superior School of Art and Design of Amposta) and EAC (School of Art and Culture of Tortosa). In the case of ESARDI, this collaboration led to “Buai!,” a practical workshop held in February 2024. The long-term collaboration with EAC has materialized in “Marjals,” a series of workshops carried out between July and October 2024.
