Els Ports. Natura i Art
Reflecting on our relationship with nature and the landscape is one of the objectives pursued by “Els Ports. Natura i Art,” the contemporary and ephemeral artistic interventions event held annually in spaces within the Els Ports Natural Park. The ninth edition of the tour is scheduled for Sunday, September 29.
Organized by Lo Pati Centre d’Art of the Terres de l’Ebre and the Associació Cultural EPNiA, the project, curated by artist Sergi Quiñonero, offers a 3.3 km circular walk of low difficulty and 100 m elevation gain. It will begin at Mas de la Franqueta in Horta de Sant Joan and pass through Mas de Corretja. During the walk, visitors will enjoy a guided tour of five ephemeral art installations that foster a reflective dialogue between art and nature. The works will be designed to engage the public, promote interaction, and introduce the environment through each author’s unique perspective. Participation in the walk is free, but registration is required at www.lopati.cat.
The visual arts interventions for this edition will be carried out by:
– **Anaïs Faiges** (Amposta), who studied at UPV/EHU in the Faculty of Fine Arts of Biscay and at ESARDI. She focuses on the essence of nature and the way humans interact with and transform it.
– **Sarah Misselbrook** (Riba-roja d’Ebre), will present *Pause, Kneel, Reflect*, an installation where the mountain embodies a cathedral and the rock serves as an altar. Through live spoken word, the artist will encourage moments of introspection and unity, centering her work on the opposition between light and darkness, or life and death.
– **Enric Llevat** (Tarragona), a multidisciplinary artist and teacher whose artistic career is mainly influenced by Eastern aesthetics, philosophy, and contemporary lyrical abstraction. He is currently a high school teacher at Antoni de Martí i Franquès Institute in Tarragona.
– **Arnau Casanoves** (Reus), who has worked with artists like Ramon Ferran and Marcel·lí Antúnez, and studied traditional music, painting, and robotics. His work combines various plastic techniques and sound art, addressing contemporary issues with a discourse that oscillates between nihilism and idealism, reflecting a struggle between engaging with and distancing from the world.
– **Montsita Rierola + Jordi Lafon** (Vic, Barcelona) will lead the performance and happening. Their respective backgrounds in visual arts, performing arts, and education give rise to collaborative projects. They are part of the Deriva Mussol collective, which promotes walking as an aesthetic practice.
Els Ports. Natura i Art is a project aimed at promoting respect and conservation of the natural environment during a critical historical moment, marked by the questioning of the economic growth model and the severe environmental crisis resulting from global warming and climate change. Alongside the route, educational activities will also be organized in some schools in the Terres de l’Ebre: Monday, September 30 at the Montsagre School (Horta de Sant Joan) and Tuesday, October 1 at the Doctor Ferran School (Corbera d’Ebre).
**PRACTICAL INFORMATION:**
– Guided Tour. Sunday, September 29, 2024.
– Time: Group departures starting at 9:30 a.m. (registration required at www.lopati.cat)
– Duration: Approximately 3 hours
– Meeting point: Mas de la Franqueta
– Free bus service from Amposta-Tortosa-Horta de Sant Joan.
**Organizers:** Lo Pati Centre d’Art of the Terres de l’Ebre and the Associació Cultural EPNiA
**Supported by:** Ajuntament d’Amposta, Generalitat de Catalunya-Departament de Cultura, Diputació de Tarragona, Consell Comarcal de la Terra Alta, Ajuntament d’Horta de Sant Joan, Ajuntament de Corbera d’Ebre, Parc Natural dels Ports, Òmnium Cultural -Terres de l’Ebre, and Hostal Casa Barceló.
