‘Arraial de Quimeras’ is a performative exhibition that takes the form of a dual-format project: an exhibition of costumes and illustrations which, when brought to life, also becomes a festive performance. Designed and directed by set designer, costume designer and arts mediator Inês de Carvalho, the project offers a perspective on the textile remnants of costumes resulting from 30 years of theatrical production by Visões Úteis, casting an authorial gaze on costumes as archival material and as (re)creation that unlocks possibilities for ‘trans-figuration’ and can be viewed in an exhibition format at Casa de S. Roque – Centro de Arte, in Campanhã. The conception of the project stems from a process of listening to the themes of diverse fields such as philosophy, archives and anthropology – of the work of time(s), of the unfolding of (their) layers, which persist in the preserved materiality, and of the search for the meanings concentrated therein, those that have already been felt or revealed themselves, and those that still resonate with the potential to be reawakened.

Inês de Carvalho (Lisbon, 1977) holds a degree in Stage Design from the Lisbon School of Theatre and Cinema and a Master’s degree in Fine Art – Theatre Design from the Slade School of Fine Art, University College London. She also studied for a Master’s degree in Intermedia Visual Arts at the University of Évora. She is a Visiting Lecturer at the University of Minho, where she teaches Space and Performance. She has taught History of the Stage, Set Design, Costume Design and Make-up for the Theatre Degree at the University of Évora. She has been collaborating with Visões Úteis since 2009 as a set designer and designer for theatre and performance, landscape and territories, in a variety of participatory contexts. Since 2011, she has directed creative projects, particularly those involving communities; and, from 2019 onwards, she has been in charge of the Artistic Mediation and Creation department, heading the Campanhã hub of the ‘Cultura em Expansão’ programme, where she developed (2019–2024) mediation and programming initiatives using educational artistic practices.

Artistic direction and creation: Inês de Carvalho / Archive and dramaturgy consultancy: Ana Vitorino / Lighting design: Pedro Correia / Sound design: Vasco Zentzua / Performers: ESAP students / Set construction: FP Solutions / Communication design: Sara Allen / Video recording: Sara Allen and Alexandra Allen / Production coordination: Cláudia Alfaiate / Executive production: Pedro Monteiro / Administration and production assistance: Helena Madeira