EXHIBITION
“WOVEN STORIES” BY RAQUEL BELLI AT GAMA RAMA GALLERY
The exhibition “Woven Stories” by photographer and visual artist Raquel Belli will open on October 27 at 5:00 PM and can be visited at GAMA RAMA Gallery in Faro until January 6, 2024.
The showcase presents the outcome of the artistic residency that the artist undertook in the Ribeirinho neighborhood of Faro, in response to the challenge posed by Na Mouche – Cultural Association, the organizer of Open Studios Faro.
Raquel Belli’s work as a photographer and visual artist revolves around creating photographic images intertwined with weaving and basketry patterns and techniques, using artisanal methods that have been reinvented.
For this exhibition, the artist delved into the lives, experiences, and memories of the community in the Ribeirinho neighborhood of Faro, creating a vibrant and captivating juxtaposition of documentary photography with tapestry patterns. The old and the new interweave in a unique plasticity, providing a distinctive perspective on the neighborhood and its people.
This visual exploration underscores the intersection of time and space, the fusion of tradition and change. The stories of the neighborhood’s residents and their enduring connection to this place, a labyrinth of streets combining the village spirit with cosmopolitan and nightlife spaces, are unveiled with all the contrasts that arise. It is a living heritage that preserves the essence of a Faro that existed long before the lure of tourism and nightlife, struggling to maintain its identity.
“Woven Stories” includes a large outdoor artistic installation, and the community is invited to participate in the “weaving of images” process on October 25 starting at 10:00 AM at GAMA RAMA Gallery – Rua do Prior No. 13 – Faro, in the heart of the Ribeirinho neighborhood.
The exhibition is organized by Na Mouche – Cultural Association, Open Studios Faro, and GAMA RAMA Gallery, supported by the Municipal Council of Faro, Union of Parishes of Faro, CIAC – Research Center for Arts and Communication, and funded by national funds through FCT – Foundation for Science and Technology, I.P., under the project “UIDB/04019/2020.”
About the artist:
Raquel Belli is a mother, photographer, and visual artist. Of Portuguese-Italian roots, she has resided and worked between Portugal and Timor-Leste for the past ten years, where she initiated the “Woven” body of work inspired by the craftsmanship and manual labor of Timorese women in basketry and weaving.
She graduated in Fine Arts from ESAD Caldas da Rainha in 2006 and completed the Photography Technical Course at ETIC in 2008, where she developed and deepened her photography skills in stage photography.
In Timor, she collaborated in the creation of WAP (WomenArtPower) and published a book of photographs on the country’s unique Christmas, in collaboration with José Ramos-Horta and Xanana Gusmão (“Aqui Onde O Sol, Logo Em Nascendo, Vê Primeiro,” 2014).
Open Studios Faro:
It is a biennial event – with the next edition in 2024 – where artists, designers, and creators in Faro open their studios to the public. The current edition featured the unveiling of the tile panel by artist Mariana a Miserável in May at Travessa do Bouzela; it will premiere Raquel Belli’s piece on Rua do Compromisso in October, with a third project planned for November 2023 in collaboration with visual artist Hermínio Pinto da Silva and the Occupational Nucleus of Faro from ASMAL.
