Visiting markets and wharfs

Waking up and finding the floor all white was splendid! Man, it really does feel like rolling on it all day! Everyone who shows up at our door, if not with words, says it with their eyes that they really are boldly struck by such dramatic impact.

Now, we record everything down here in the basement because we want to avoid dirtying the floor upstairs, which, later on, will be marked by Sara as she advances through the construction process of her piece. We had good lighting conditions for most of the day: warm enough, intense, but quite filtered by two entrances on the west, diffusing the source and making up for a cosy environment but, at the same time, of moving serenity and force.

In order to test the new spatial disposition, here we had Roberto Moniz to record after lunch-time. He told us about his first musical learning experiences, at home, amidst chordophones, singing and lots of playing around. Zé Camacho followed next, energetically telling us about memories, very close to those of Rui Camacho (his brother). These included Praia do Toco as well as the Fish Square and the General Market.

A bit further into the middle of the afternoon, we achieved to record the places suggested by Roberto Moniz, which agglomerated the frantic sounds of cars and ships at the docks. By the description, if undenoted, Funchal could very well be New York in the 70s.

Now, with the decision of prolonging the period for which 'Taxonomy' is open to the public, Rodrigo has been serving as a receptionist to audiences who flow through our doors like rivers of so many sources. We are having it so much confirmed that there are clear benefits in keeping such a strange immaculately white floor…

Already by the end of the day, there came still, almost not to stop, this old man who had been the proprietor of barely the whole estate down the road! Reacting to some incredulity on our part, he said: 'come one, alright, not of all of it, only the ones on the left I owned them!'. He then narrated to us the brief story of number 17 [PIPINOIR's door number] and went away, happy for having spoken to someone during his walk, confirming, upon saying goodbye, the benefits of talking to strangers. 'Everyone needs it in the end!'.

Photographs by Sara Rodrigues