Shelter Nest
an art installation created by young visionariesM.5 . 01h30
The ‘Ninho Abrigo’ (Shelter Nest) project challenges students to convert birdhouses into literary microcosms. Based on short stories, students abandon their role as spectators to take on the role of artists and interpreters of the world.
In this installation, the birdhouse ceases to be a utilitarian object and becomes a diorama. The artistic challenge lies in three-dimensionality and the limits of space. By creating within a confined volume, children explore depth, perspective and detail.
Personalising these houses is an exercise in symbolism. Here, textures and colours tell stories without the need for words. Art thus becomes the most powerful tool for interpreting and constructing reality.
The ‘Nest Shelter’ is not an isolated work, but rather a process of collective construction and school collaboration. The process begins with active listening. The class immerses itself in the story, decoding metaphors and identifying the pillars of the narrative.
Through a materials workshop — which combines elements from nature with plastic materials — students test resistance, bonding and aesthetic composition. Each class imprints its unique vision on the house entrusted to it. Although the basic structure is common, the end result is an explosion of diversity, reflecting the visual and emotional identity of each group of children.
The final installation is not merely contemplative; it is interactive. As they walk through this ‘forest of shelters,’ visitors are invited on a sensory journey through 30 miniaturised worlds. The experience becomes polyphonic when they scan the QR codes, where they can listen to the stories that inspired the creation. Visitors do not merely see the work; they inhabit the story through sight and sound.
video
- Vídeo Promocional 2026 [PROMOTIONAL]
art
DIRECTOR Clara RibeiroTEXTS Clara Ribeiro
WORKSHOP INSTRUCTORS Clara Ribeiro, Eurico Santos, Joaquim de Sousa
ART DIRECTOR enVide neFelibata
INSTALLATION AND WORKSHOP CONCEPT enVide neFelibata
PROTOTYPING OF SCENOGRAPHIC ELEMENTS Hélder David Duarte, Joaquim de Sousa
NARRATION Clara Ribeiro, Filipa Mesquita
AUDIO EDITING AND SOUND ENVIRONMENTS Clara Ribeiro
PROMOTIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY Ana Filipa Rodrigues, Joaquim de Sousa
DESIGN enVide neFelibata
PRODUCTION Teatro e Marionetas de Mandrágora
SUPPORT República Portuguesa - Cultura, DGARTES – Direção-Geral das Artes, Município de Espinho/Câmara Municipal de Espinho, Município de Gondomar
download
IMAGERY ARCHIVE PROMO 91.1 MBPROMO DOSSIER - EN 2.8 MB
PROMO DOSSIER COMPRESSED - EN 1.4 MB
small workshop
Puppets, while often associated with childhood, are deeply woven into our collective imagination, history, and tradition. This art form offers an inexhaustible wealth of theatrical experiences, constantly renewing itself through innovative creation and manipulation on the modern stage.It is essential for educators to equip themselves with the specialized knowledge needed to facilitate these experiences. By exploring diverse materials and construction techniques, teachers can provide students with the tools to develop original creative work, transforming the classroom into a laboratory for theatrical discovery and artistic expression.