Cultivar a Proximidade x Momonimo

At the Lavadouros das Fontaínhas, water was, for decades, a reason to gather. People came together to wash clothes, share stories, and spend time with one another. Today, the space lies abandoned, yet it remains alive in ways that often go unnoticed.

It is here that this workshop takes place: in a place that holds memories of community and is home to thousands of invisible creatures with whom we rarely interact. Bacteria are in the air, on plants, and on our hands. They are in the gardens where vegetables grow nearby, and in the wild plants that flourish on the slopes of Fontaínhas. And they are the focus of this workshop.

Lacto-fermentation is one of the oldest food preservation techniques in the world. Practised collectively across many cultures — such as kimchi-making in Korea, where it is prepared and shared within communities — it is also an act of care. We create the conditions for these microscopic beings to thrive, and in return they transform vegetables into living, nutritious, and flavourful food. It is a symbiotic relationship that begins here, in this space, and continues at home.

We will begin with a tasting of fermented foods, followed by an introduction to spontaneous lactic fermentation. Together, we will then prepare a ferment using vegetables and some wild plants gathered in the area. At the end of the session, each participant will take home a jar containing their own ferment, along with a care guide to help continue the process.



When: Saturday, 4 July 2026
Time: 3:30 PM — 5:30 PM
Location: Lavadouros das Fontaínhas
Maximum number of participants: 12 people
Audience: Adults (18+)

Included: A tasting of fermented foods and a fermentation jar to take home, accompanied by a care guide.

About the Facilitator
Mónica Esteves is a food designer with a background and professional experience in architecture, design, and cooking. She is currently pursuing a master's research project at the Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Porto, where she explores spontaneous fermentation as a design methodology and as a way of cultivating caring relationships with the microbial world.
Through Momonimo, her artistic and design project, she explores food as a medium for experimental and relational practices, working at the intersection of food design, social design, and more-than-human ecologies.

NOTE
This activity takes place outdoors and is subject to weather conditions and a minimum number of registrations. We recommend bringing a hat and sunscreen. No prior knowledge or experience is required. The workshop is entirely plant-based and includes handling and tasting fermented vegetables. Participants are encouraged to bring a bag to carry their fermentation jar home.

If you are interested in the theme of this activity and in Fontaínhas, come and be part of it!
Register via the QR code on the poster or email cultivaraproximidade@gmail.com.