“65+ started in my grandmother’s house. While she was waiting for me to set up the camera, we continued to talk about how there are few children in the village nowadays. São João de Rei, located 13 km from Braga, has been her home since she was born. However, unlike her, a lot of people in working age left the parish in search of better opportunities. This is a small example that talks about a bigger issue: the ageing of the Portuguese population, at a time when the Portuguese National Institute of Statistics states that in 2016, 1 in every 5 people was an elderly person (65 and older). It is predicted that in 50 years, Portugal will lose 23% of the population and that in 2070, 44% of the 8 million inhabitants will be over 80 years old. This series of portraits shows some of the elderly of São João de Rei in their rooms, where they spend more time as they grow older. Moreover, the series also allows to see traces of the Portuguese culture, such as the importance of religion and family.” Sara Lopes
The VIA Arts Prize is an annual award in London, hosted by the Embassy of Brazil, and seeks to deepen cultural awareness of Latin American, Spanish and Portuguese arts and cultures in the UK. The Prize is open to all artists living in the UK, of any nationality, to submit an original artwork specifically inspired by Ibero-American arts and culture.
until Wednesday 11 December.
VIA Arts Prize 2019, Sala Brasil, Embassy of Brazil, 14-16 Cockspur Street, London SW1Y 5BL
