Farol dos Ventos

Serra das Talhadas, a geological phenomenon in the Portuguese landscape marking the transition between the plateau and the lowlands of the south, defines the unique atmosphere of Proença-a-Nova.

Farol dos Ventos (Lighthouse of the Winds) while defining the beginning of the Cortiçada Route and following the sequence of Works of Art in the Landscape, occupies an unequivocal geographical position: the mountain.

The imposing character of the mountain persists in the historical continuum of human appropriation of the territory. On one hand, the mountain is the obstacle, difficulty, even fear. On the other, it is a reference of territorial limits, a key to an understanding of the territory and, mainly, a force of attraction – to climb, to cross, to reach. This approach to Serra das Talhadas is the basis of the piece Farol dos Ventos.

Farol dos Ventos is composed of multi-coloured nautical cables set on the Buraca da Moura, the southwest tip of the mostly quartzite massif.

Its form is defined by a sequence of cables that vary sequentially in colour from a range of red, passing through orange, to yellow, creating a parabolic surface.

Modulation and sequential rotation of cables and colours – red, orange and yellow – create an illusion of movement, of something about to happen, like a bird taking off to fly.

This delicate movement is a sign, less of a landmark, but a lighthouse, a signal for those who navigate. A sign doesn´t impose but appears when sought, an indication of a happening, as when one reaches the top of the mountain.