During the art residency for Encontros da Primavera on the invitation of artist Patricia Geraldes and Frauga, in Picote village, Miranda do Douro in Portugal, Evgenia Emets created an Eternal Forest Grove and a series of interventions in collaboration and with the participation of the local community of Picote.
Picote is a very special village inside Douro International Natural Park with great possibilities for forest protection, centuries of human activity, stunning beauty and opportunity to bring greater biodiversity to the area.
Eternal Forest Grove is a living forest artwork and a community-stewarded forest. The forest is created in three phases in 2025: art and research residency in April, a symbolic celebration with the community in June during Encontros da Primavera and then, in October the planting of trees and supportive aromatic plants and bushes.
During the art residency, the Eternal Forest Grove was designed in the form of an eight-pointed star and marked in the land, which has been offered for this project by one of the local private landowners.
In June, during the celebration of Encontros da Primavera, people from the local community will be invited to adopt the 25 trees ceremonially. Eternal Forest Manifesto translated into Mirandes – the language of the land of Picote – will be read out loud.
In October, during the tree planting season in Portugal, the trees will be planted and the community will become the guardian of the Eternal Forest Grove.
The 8-pointed star is an ancient symbol in the Mediterranean and beyond and was chosen for its association and significance with the fertility of the land, rebirth and protection amongst many meanings across cultures. When one draws the star and connects the lines, one will have intersections, and in these intersections, 25 trees will be planted.
How are the species of trees and plants chosen to be incorporated into this artwork? The starting point is looking at the habitats or their traces in the land – species that are still present, species that have disappeared completely and references from ecological studies. 25 trees from local habitats are chosen and finalised using a combination of science and intuition.
Firstly, through an ancestral traditional divination method with a pendulum consulting each tree and each planting spot and matching trees to the place. And secondly, consulting with a scientist, for this project, João Carvalho, a scientist at UTAD University, offered support in mapping the 25 species of trees – first, verifying the list of species and then adapting better the location and orientation of trees to North, South, East and West and the river.
In addition to the Eternal Forest Grove, a nursery for the plants in the old Primary School. The trees are being taken care of by community members and there is hope that the nursery will continue, and people will continue using these trees to help reforest and regenerate lands around Picote.
In the spirit of collaboration, cooperation and conviviality, the Council of Seeds – a community seed bank was created in Casa do Povo of Picote. People are invited to bring seeds of the local forest species of plants, medicinal plants, but also species that people use for agriculture, and plants that they grow for food. Once a year an exchange of seeds takes place as a community celebration and in 2025 it will take place in October when the trees are planted for the first time.
Finally, as part of research and the process of deep listening to the community, the film As Vozes dos Guardiões da Terra was made based on recordings during the art residency, asking people of the community about their life, the changes in the landscape, their understanding of wild nature in the area, their festivals and celebrations and how the sense of community and conviviality changed over the years. It is a fascinating record, a slice of life of one rural vibrant community on the edge of Douro Valley on the border with Spain.
Visit Eternal Forest Grove in Picote