Between 19 and 26 June, esad—idea hosted the Polish artist, filmmaker and lecturer Marta Miaskowska for an artist’s residency dedicated to the development of the NOT to Be a Siren project. The initiative culminated in an exhibition, where the results of the work carried out during the residency were showcased.

During her stay in Matosinhos, Marta Miaskowska further developed her artistic research, which draws an analogy between aquatic ecosystems and a critical reflection on patriarchal constructions of femininity. In this context, the figure of the mermaid emerges in her project as a metaphor for the idealisation and commodification of the female body, whilst the act of sewing items of underwear intended exclusively for women affirms a rejection of culturally imposed gender norms.

During her residency, the artist produced new elements for her installation, carried out fieldwork and worked with textile objects created from tights donated by women from different countries and from waste from the textile industry.

The public presentation, held at esad—idea, also included the screening of short documentaries produced by the artist in various parts of the world where the water crisis has a particular impact on women’s lives. Through these works, the project establishes a dialogue between environmental issues, gender identity and social justice.

The residency arose from a long-standing collaboration between ESAD and the Łódź University of Technology, an ESAD partner institution through the Erasmus programme. This partnership has already resulted in various international projects, including the Erasmus project ‘PICODE’ and the publication ‘Collective for Design’, published by esad—idea.

This initiative reinforces the commitment of ESAD and esad—idea to artistic research and international collaboration, promoting the intersection of creation, research and knowledge-sharing.

Photograph: raioverde.pt