Álvaro Siza and Souto de Moura’s “Stone Raft”

John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts | Wikimedia Commons

Architects Eduardo Souto de Moura and Álvaro Siza Vieira are the creators of the installation "Stone Raft" which will be on display during the Iberian contemporary creative work showcase in Washington, next March.

The installation is an initiative of the Art Institute, sponsored by the Luso-American Development Foundation (FLAD), and will be exposed in front of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the US national cultural center.

Álvaro Siza Vieira and Eduardo Souto de Moura | © Miguel Oliveira

"It is a great pride for the Art Institute, to have Architects Souto de Moura and Siza working in this installation, a time trial challenge that has shown not only their talent and professionalism, as their generosity and dedication," said the president of the Art Institute, Ana Ventura Miranda, to Portuguese news agency Lusa.

For three weeks, from 03 to 24 March 2015, the Kennedy Center will host a cultural showcase entitled "Iberian Suite: Arts Remix Across Continents", a disclosure event of the Portuguese and Spanish cultures, which will be attended by Portuguese language and Latin America artists. In addition to the installation of the two Pritzker Prize winners architects, built in stone donated by the company SOLANCIS and inspired on the book under the same name by José Saramago, other installations will be on display during the event.

One of them is a cork life-size cable car, created by artist and designer Nuno Vasa, which carries the "Message" by Fernando Pessoa, and will be on display at the Hall of Nations, one of the entrances in the center. In another entry - Hall of States - will be a stone installation involving the display of worldwide mannequins, inspired by Portuguese and Spanish themes with the presence of Portuguese designers "Storytailors".

Finally, there will be a space devoted to children, entirely made of cork donated by the companies Sofalca, New Cork and TNT, where the little ones can learn more about the Iberian culture. "The shows are very important, but only last one day. The installations are displayed since the doors open until close. Three of them are located in both the lobby and in front of the building. Anyone who enters, either to see a show or just to stroll, will have to come across Portugal, "said Ana Ventura Miranda. The responsible says she was very moved when Souto de Moura, to whom the invitation was addressed first, asked her, in the middle of the Kennedy Center, if he could invite Siza Vieira "I said, thrilled, that my dream for Portugal was the same: to see the country working like them both, with generosity, pulling for each other, to make it better " she recalled.

The fado singer Camané, the company Mundo Perfeito and the writer Gonçalo M. Tavares will be among the other guests of this show. At the opening ceremony, on 03 March will be the fado singer Carminho, Brazilian dance company Grupo Corpo, the Mozambican saxophonist Moreira Conguiça, Eugenia Leon (Mexico), Arakaendar Choir and Orchestra (Bolivia / UK) and the dancers Ángel and Carmen Corella (Spain). At the event’s opening dinner will be presented the work of Pedro Zaz who, invited by the Art Institute, has developed a video presentation inspired by the patterns of Vista Alegre, telling the history and presence of the Portuguese in the world.

The cultural program includes also, for example, the interpretation of the pieces "Maritime Ode" by Diogo Infante and João Gil, " Traveling Stories - Cape Verde", by Teatro Meridional, "Three fingers below the knee" and "By Heart", by the company Mundo Perfeito, and " What I heard about the World " by Mala Voadora, with the English company Third Angel. There are also scheduled concerts by Carminho and Camané, accompanied by the National Symphony Orchestra, as well as Rodrigo Leão, Sofia Ribeiro, Luisa Sobral, The Gift and Antonio Zambujo.

The artist Alexandre Farto, known as Vhils, will make a portrait of Fernando Pessoa, from the poet's book pages, and Manuela Pimentel will present a visual project from the Portuguese tiles.

More information at: www.kennedy-center.org/festivals/iberia