What lives in water that appears still? Which species inhabit the Lavadouros das Fontaínhas, and how can plants help regenerate water quality?

Across three interconnected sessions, Cultivar a Proximidade invites the community to immerse itself in an experience that brings together art, science and ecology, transforming the Lavadouros das Fontaínhas into a space for observation, learning and collective action.

Led by the artistic duo Landra and teacher Luís Xavier, this activity offers a hands-on approach to the invisible ecosystems that inhabit the water of the washhouses. The journey begins with the discovery of the microscopic life present in this habitat. Through microscope observation and participatory water quality analysis, participants will be invited to explore the organisms that live there and gain a deeper understanding of their ecological characteristics. Based on this collective investigation, the group will identify the plant species best suited for a phytoremediation process — a natural technique that uses plants to improve water quality and restore ecological balance.

In a second stage, participants will collaborate in the installation of these species and in the adaptation of the washhouses, giving rise to a small ecosystem capable of evolving autonomously over time. Roots, substrates, microorganisms and aquatic plants will gradually inhabit this space, initiating a process of transformation that participants will be able to observe closely.

The programme culminates in a public presentation of the work developed, revealing the outcomes of this collective experience through a living installation where scientific observation, ecological intervention and artistic creation intersect. More than a series of workshops, this is an invitation to sustained participation, where each session contributes to the next and where the process gains meaning as a whole. For this reason, participation in all three sessions is strongly recommended, allowing participants to follow every stage of the experience, from the initial discovery through to the final moment of sharing with the community.

Among microscopes, cleansing plants, microorganisms and shared knowledge, this activity invites us to look at the washhouses not only as historical heritage, but as living places capable of fostering new relationships between people, nature and knowledge.

Landra is the name Sara Rodrigues and Rodrigo Camacho give to the land where they live, and it is also the name by which they have been known as an artistic duo since 2020. Through the landras (acorns), the duo pays tribute to a culture of autonomy, sharing and abundance that they seek to recover. In addition to being a developing agroforestry project, Landra is also a space for experimenting with local production methods and forms of art-life practice. They have worked together since 2015, beginning at Goldsmiths, University of London. Their projects span video and audiovisual composition, performance, installation and interventions in public space. Alongside their artistic studies, they have also trained in permaculture and soil microbiology, researching and applying this knowledge in projects situated between art and science, including soil regeneration practices and ecosystem restoration.

Luís Xavier is a biologist, teacher and science communicator whose work is largely dedicated to environmental education, botany and the study of ecosystems. He currently teaches at Escola Secundária Carolina Michaelis, where he develops educational activities for a wide range of audiences, fostering connections between science, nature and community. He holds a degree in Biology and a master's degree in Hydrobiology, and also attended the Landscape Architecture programme at the University of Porto. Throughout his career, he has organised guided visits to gardens, parks and nature reserves, collaborated in the design of green spaces, participated in the scientific review of publications and co-authored articles and educational materials. He was responsible for management and programming projects at the Jardins do Palácio de Cristal and is a founding member of Associação Hortus Conclusus.

Registration is mandatory via the QR code on the poster or by email: cultivaraproximidade@gmail.com