2022, Portugal
Year: May - August 2022
Location: Idanha a Nova, Portugal
Client: Boom Festival
Role: Builder and decorator
Under the theme Anthropocene, at the request of the Department Managers, the Art department of The Garden Village developed the following design concepts for its installations.
Dimensions: Dodecahedral structure, Ø 2m
Materials: wood, plywood, papier-mâché, foam, fabric, acrylic glass, acrylic paint, phosphorescent paint and decorative props.
Concept: A small emergency escape pod detached from the mother spacecraft during an emergency landing on planet Earth. Today, the pod is found in a state of decay, on a lifeless planet where a new civilization is slowly emerging.
Conceived as an archaeological artifact, the spacecraft becomes a trace of a previous form of life, playfully drawing a parallel between those who once inhabited the Earth (us) and those who will come after, interpreting the remnants and debris we leave behind.
The space is designed to welcome visitors and invite them to slow down, rest, and momentarily detach from the intensity of the festival. Inside the structure, visitors can play, explore, or simply lie down and observe the sky through the spacecraft’s roof opening.
The structure engages with the surrounding landscape and is positioned within a natural depression in the terrain.
This placement allows the installation to blend into the environment, camouflaging itself within a small pocket of nature and creating an intimate, secluded atmosphere for contemplation.
Dimensions: variable dimensions
Materials: Wood planks, plywood panels, paint, props.
Concept: An unconventional hotel immersed in water, composed of all the parts of a real full-scale hotel.
An interactive structure where the visitors can enter, act in the space, have fun and why not... have lunch with their feet in the water!
Dimensions: ca. 7m x 5m x 6m (ramp excluded)
Materials: Bamboo of different dimensions, wood, papier-mâché, foam, fabric, acrylic glass, acrylic paint, plastic tubes, felt carpet and thermal blankets (for the ceiling).
Concept: The installation represents the abandoned mother spacecraft that landed on Earth a long time ago.
Inside, the structure is organized around an path that starts with ramp that leads to the upper level, where a sci-fi labyrinth begins, revealing the (now obsolete, but post-punk style) technologies of the spacecraft through spatial fragments and details. The path then opens into a “zero-gravity” room, composed of oversized anti- gravity cushions, suspended objects floating in space, and colored acrylic windows that filter the light and enhance the immersive atmosphere. The experience concludes with a transition through a small tunnel that guides visitors towards the exit.
The entire structure was built using recycled materials sourced from the previous edition of the festival; no new materials were purchased, except for acrylic glass and paints used for restoration and finishing. The installation was primarily conceived to be experienced at night, when light effects and fog fully activate the spatial atmosphere, although it remains accessible and functional during the daytime.
Dimensions: each tower can vary between 1 to 2,5 meters of height.
Materials: Internal load-bearing timber structure, metal wire net, straw, mud, soil, natural pigments.
Concept: Arcadia stands as a trace of a civilization that once inhabited the site. Composed almost entirely of natural materials, the installation consists of a series of structures reminiscent of megaliths or menhirs, combining an ancient construction language with a contemporary, minimalist silhouette.
The structures were positioned at the entrance of The Gardens area, symbolising a ceremonial threshold and marking the transition into a more immersive environment. In the evening, each column is illuminated from below, enhancing their vertical presence and reinforcing the ritual and atmospheric quality of the space.
Visitors are gradually guided into the area through this spatial sequence, experiencing a slow and intentional transition into the department.
