FAZUNCHAR 2022

For the fourth consecutive year, FAZUNCHAR, which was once again awarded the EFFE * quality seal that distinguishes festivals across Europe, "not only for its wide artistic richness, but also for the involvement of and in the community where they operate", invaded the streets of the village of Figueiró dos Vinhos and the parishes that make up this unique territory, with the everlasting desire to inhabit and rethink Figueiró dos Vinhos and celebrate its cultural and artistic legacy, its traditions and its people.

This celebration began even before the beginning of the festival, in April, when the community was called to participate in the Vila Florida community action, whose name was stolen from the distinction that this territory deserved in 1998, of "Vila Florida da Europa". This was an initiative open to the community and in partnership with various cultural, recreational and social entities in the municipality, which aimed to recreate an ancient tradition of Figueiró dos Vinhos, that of making paper flowers to decorate the streets of its historic centre, meanwhile fallen into oblivion. The initiative was very well received by the community, which embraced this challenge with enthusiasm and dedication and worked hard, contributing with thousands of small handmade flowers and composed in elaborate arrangements to decorate their doors and windows, staircases and roundabouts. The result was the streets, which gained new energy, the result of the immense color and celebration of this community construction.

As usual, the 4th edition of FAZUNCHAR opened with the opening of the exhibition “ESQUECIDOS” by the illustrator Francis.co. His response to the challenge launched to carry out an artist residency in drawing in the last edition. Francis.co, with no defined direction, quickly won and its obsession with 'houses' turned into a single mission, to record the abandonment, stories, textures and reasons for a specific moment of those constructions. A time, past, brought to the present, as a visual memory, provoking reflection on its future.

For 9 days, Figueiró dos Vinhos was once again the stage and inspiration for a group of artists, national and international, of unavoidable talent and unique in their thematic and aesthetic approach, who allowed themselves to be influenced by this territory to leave their mark there. Alba Fabre Sacristán, like Malhoa, fell in love with Figueiró's light; Juan Rivas created small time capsules with his small but detailed paintings; Lourenço Providência surrendered to the charm and peace of Campelo; Arashida, in her hand-painted canvases, re-signified a local legend; Mariana, a miserável paid homage to bread and companionship on a tile panel, symbolically placed at the door of a bakery; Slim Safont left a reflection on the importance of the relationship between generations; Taquen illustrated in the herons that stop by Foz de Alge, reflections on the world, on human beings and their relationship with Nature, on the artist's own and unexpected experience in this place and in FAZUNCHAR.

In addition to the magnificent community action, in its 4th edition, FAZUNCHAR brought other great news:

• the launch of an open call for painting a mural, whose winner was the Portuguese artist Tiago Hesp who was inspired by the coat of arms of Aguda, where the artist went to find some of his favorite colors, green and purple, the unique branches of vine and bunches of grape;
• a literature residency starring João Pedro Vala, a young author who, throughout the edition of FAZUNCHAR, accompanied the dynamics of this party, in a collection of everyday experiences in Figueiró dos Vinhos so that he could put into words what his passage was like for this place;
• in addition to the usual guided tours led by curator Lara Seixo Rodrigues, the long-awaited Volta dos Vinhos was added, a stroll, a competition and, in fact, just another pretext to create dialogues and bridges between all the dimensions (and traditions) that make up this unique territory;

In this 2022 edition of FAZUNCHAR, we brought back Jornal de Cordel, with daily updates of activities and message exchanges. Without forgetting the conversations with artists, the workshops and the community picnic which are occasions for much sharing, learning and celebration, such essential and special moments lived between FAZUNCHAR, the artists and the community that strengthen and strengthen these relationships.

* EFFE – Europe for Festivals, Festivals for Europe (“Europe for Festivals, Festivals for Europe”), is an initiative of the European Festivals Association – EFA (European Festivals Association) with the support of the European Commission and European Parliament.