A project enhancing local creative and cultural production to promote a sustainable tourism model based on blue innovation
YEAR
2023 – 2024
ROLE
Leading Partner
Production
Training
CATEGORY
Regeneration of places
2030 GOALS
Faro, Ancona and Lesvos are three Mediterranean coastal areas undergoing urbanistic, geographic and economic transformation. On the one hand, Ancona and Faro suffer from the consequences of what is commonly known as overtourism, i.e. the excessive presence of mass tourism in places unsuitable for hosting large crowds of people. On the other hand, Lesvos is at the centre of the phenomena of immigration, a process in which new temporary citizens are affecting change on the social and cultural characteristics of the place they inhabit. All of them are also maritime landscapes facing challenges like adversities of climate change, waterfront pollution, soil erosion, growth of endangered species.
Is it possible to promote the uniqueness of those regions, the beauty of their cultural heritage, and the biodiversity of their coastal and marine ecosystem, without encouraging the spread of consumptive tourist practices that are harmful to the environment and local communities? Is it possible to combine the visionary power of artists with the expertise of local cultural organisations to build a different narrative of the environmental and cultural identity of Faro, Lesvos and Ancona? And how can this voice be used by tourism industries to design more sustainable tourism models?
BlueTour project was conceived as an international partnership between a creative and cultural organisation, a non-profit organisation and a public administration, to build, together, a new approach to this challenge.
The activities
The BLUETOUR project helps these places redefine their identity by involving the inhabitants in a process of recovering memory, reflecting on the emergencies of the present, and envisioning possible future scenarios and challenges.
Through a capacity-building process aimed at local artists and operators, led by Sineglossa on the methodology of NONTURISM community drafting, the project brings policy makers, cultural operators, artists, tourism operators and local communities of the three coastal areas into dialogue, and implements permanent and temporary artistic interventions that promote new itineraries of sustainable tourism for the enhancement of local and cultural heritage.
The partners
The BLUETOUR project is based on the collaboration between three actors operating in geographically similar areas: Ancona, Faro and Lesvos. Respectively, it involves the cultural organisation Sineglossa, headquartered in Ancona (Italy), which has a series of long-standing projects dealing with the culture based regeneration in the urban and coastal region of Conero National Park; LATRA, a social enterprise based in Lesvos (Greece), and the Municipality of Faro (Portugal).
LATRA is a socially-engaged organisation based in Lesvos-Greece, responding to the most pressing social, political, economic and cultural concerns and expectations of European citizens by conducting state-of- the-art research and innovation at the frontlines of 21st Century European societal challenges. LATRA ensures that all citizens including those from geographically remote, socio-economically disadvantaged and minority communities are equitably included in all aspects of European society ranging from education to economy and governance. LATRA’s vision is to BUILD THE WORLD BETTER, by empowering marginalized communities to address the adversities they face, and to become not just actors in their lives but directors of their resilient future, creating communities which are inclusive, adaptive and resilient.
The Municipality of Faro is the administrative capital of the Algarve, a region in the south of Portugal with approximately 65,000 inhabitants in an area that is 30% part of the Ria Formosa Nature Reserve. The municipality of Faro, with a millennial history since Roman times, is today one of the most important urban centres in the south of the Iberian Peninsula, with an airport that already receives more than 5,000,000 tourists; an internationally recognised University for the Faculties of Marine Sciences, Tourism Management and Biotechnology.
The artworks in Faro
Cycles, by Los Pepes
Cycles is a mural by Los Pepes Studio located at the Faro train station, a symbolic point of transition for departures and arrivals that reflects the constant movement of life. Inspired by this transitional environment, the artwork uses the circle as a central geometric form, creating a visual composition that evokes the movement of waves and the city’s connection to the Atlantic Ocean and the Ria Formosa.
The painting highlights Faro’s natural wealth and its connection to water, emphasizing the importance of natural rhythms – tides, moon phases, and seasons – that regulate marine life and human activities such as fishing and tourism, which are essential to the local economy and to shaping the city’s identity. The painting is located within the station, gaining an additional layer of meaning, where the daily journeys of passengers reflect the ongoing renewal that also governs nature. Thus, in addition to celebrating Faro’s natural beauty, the mural suggests a deep connection between human paths and natural cycles, with each departure symbolizing a new beginning.
Blooming Route, by Yvonne Robert
Yvonne Robert’s Blooming Route exhibition is a visual celebration of the lush flora of the Ria Formosa Natural Park, in Faro. Known for her intuitive, gestural, and abstract approach, the artist presents a more concrete and figurative perspective in this series. The natural beauty is captured here through brushstrokes that reflect her spontaneous fascination with the uniqueness of the plants, chosen randomly and instinctively. While creating, Yvonne follows the natural movement of the plants, as if immersed in their rhythm. Her keen and engaging eye allows her to capture every detail, shape, and colour, transforming them into free compositions that reflect her personal connection to nature. This exhibition invites visitors to embark on a sensory experience, where each work offers a unique and stimulating interpretation of the Ria Formosa’s flora. Blooming Route, more than just a painting exhibition, is an immersion into the artist’s passion for capturing and conveying the vibrancy and vitality of nature through her art.
A casa onde eu morei, by Silva Sancho
The sculpture A casa onde eu morei by André Silva Sancho embodies the process of transformation and renewal of Faro, a city that, like an arthropod, must shed its old structures, like an exoskeleton, to grow and evolve. This metamorphic process reflects Faro’s need to cast off outdated paradigms and embrace new opportunities while retaining its identity and authenticity. The piece depicts Faro as an organism in constant evolution, shedding its “shell,” overcoming the limitations imposed by old and static structures, and reaffirming its cultural uniqueness. By representing this transformation, the sculpture celebrates the historical legacy of the Algarve and invites the community to participate in building a future that values the true Algarvian spirit.
In essence, this work serves as a symbol of resistance to gentrification and a call for sustainable development, where tourists are encouraged to discover the true spirit of Faro through the proud gaze of its inhabitants.
The artworks in Lesbos
Poetic Tour of LesBos is a multifaceted project created by artist Paolo Lolicata, which explores the deep connection between Lesvos’ natural environment and its literary heritage. The project focuses on an artistic map that guides people through literary-themed routes, linking the landscape of the island of Lesvos with the works of iconic poets and writers such as Sappho. This map serves not only as a navigational tool, but also as a cultural artefact that immerses travellers in the island’s artistic past, while promoting a respectful and sustainable form of tourism.
The communication campaign in Lesbos
Studio T’s BlueTour Lesvos Campaign also addresses the urgent environmental problems on the island of Lesvos, in particular the water shortage, through a visually engaging awareness-raising campaign. The campaign, designed by bringing artists into dialogue with communities of refugees and unaccompanied minors living in refugee camps on the island, uses art, photography and local expressions to highlight the importance of water conservation and sustainable practices. The aim is to raise awareness among both locals and tourists in the conservation of the island’s natural resources, while enhancing the landscapes and cultural identity of Lesvos.
The artworks in Ancona
The artist Eugenio Tibaldi created visual maps that offer a perceptive narrative of Ancona. Combining heterogeneous materials in accordance with his own practice, the artist has created constellations of images, clippings, and written notes that connect individual work notes, collective stories, and references to the vegetal and anthropic landscape of Ancona and its twentieth-century history. The result is a real ecosystem of relations from which emerge the forms of Superficial Tension, the site-specific work that will be installed in Cardeto Park. Drawing inspiration from the gerridae, the skating insects gliding on water, the title of the project, Superficial Tension, refers to the water surface forces, which originate from the contact between water and air. The condition of tension created by the relationship between different states of matter produces a suspension energy capable of holding insects. Thus takes shape an image of Ancona as mobile and changeable, a suspended and vibrant organism, a city of transits, poised between different identities, an amphibious city.
Download the methodology handboook
Bluetour Handbook contains tools and guidelines to facilitate cooperation at local level between cultural operators and stakeholders involved in the tourism industry in Mediterranean coastal cities, in order to turn them into a key player in the development and implementation of sustainable cultural tourism strategies.
BlueTour artists
André Silva Sancho is the artist selected by GAMA RAMA Gallery in Faro (Portugal). He was born in Faro on July 20, 1993. From an early age showed a special interest in drawing and visual arts. However, he only started studying Art in 2008 at Tomás Cabreira school, finishing his visual arts course three years later. He enrolled in Design at the Institute of Visual Arts, Design and Marketing (IADE) in Lisbon, where he studied for only one academic year. In 2012, he joined the Product Design course – ceramics and glass – at the School of Arts and Design of Caldas da Rainha (ESAD.CR). He finished his degree as an Erasmus student in Italy, at the Free University of Bolzano – UNIBZ – where he developed his final project: BLOWPLASTIC (2020). With this project he got the interest of Galeria Rossana Orlandi, Milan, where he was part of the FUORISALONE 2020 circuit. He also participated in the exhibition 1000 Vases – Galerie Joseph, Paris in October 2020. He produced one of the three trophies of the MONSTRA Animation Festival, in Lisbon, in 2019. Wins the ‘’Caldas Cidade Bordallo‘’ contest, with the ‘Sardinhas Bordallo Pinheiro 2019’ project, permanently applied at the La Vie shopping center, in Caldas da Rainha.
Paolo Lolicata is the artist selected by LATRA in Lesvos. Artist and curator, he works with an interdisciplinary and cross-cultural philosophy aimed at challenging preconceptions about identity. His work emphasizes the fragmentation, coexistence, and variability of elements inherent in human existence. In his practice, different mediums are used to generate inner landscapes where elements of different matter and levels of materiality meet to create multilayered conversations. This process is strongly linked with Paolo’s personal journey and sense of identity. Born in Sicily, where elements of Mediterranean cultures collide and fuse to generate an unclear sense of unity, he is naturalized Australian. Lately, he has been researching and developing work in Lesvos and Lisbon, where he recently developed “Obrigadissimo,” supported by Culture Moves Europe, unfolding contemporary perceptions and necessities around Liberation, a tribute to the shared celebration between Italy and Portugal of the 25th of April.
Los Pepes Studio is the artistic identity of Meggie Prata (b. 1993) and Francisco Leal (b.1992), a creative duo that has been redefining the national urban art scene through their expressive and colorful creations. Bound by their love for art and a shared mission to transform public spaces, Meggie and Francisco founded Los Pepes Studio in 2017, after meeting during their Master’s in Art and Design for Public Spaces in Porto. Since then, they have forged a strong partnership, defined by a unique aesthetic of geometric patterns and anthropomorphic elements. Through the fusion of urban art, painting, and sculpture, Los Pepes Studio’s work delves into the connection between color and emotion, using a vibrant palette to convey positive feelings and thoughts to those who experience their art. Icons such as hearts and smiley faces are recurring motifs in their work, reflecting the philosophy of the “Love Gangsters,” as they are affectionately known. Los Pepes have left their mark with murals gracing walls in cities like Lisbon and Paris. Among their standout works are the mural at the Amoreiras 360o Panoramic View in Lisbon and a striking 13-story building painting in Montargis, near Paris, created for an international competition. Beyond their artistic installations, they also curate exhibitions and projects, further solidifying their impact on the urban art scene. As their recognition grows both in Portugal and internationally, Los Pepes continue to broaden their influence, transforming public spaces into accessible galleries and advancing the democratization of art through their vibrant and powerful creations.
Yvonne Robert (b. 1972) is a German visual artist renowned for her distinctive approach to colour and composition, characterised by an intuitive and free-spirited style. Based in Zurich, Robert is celebrated for her dynamic and vibrant paintings that emphasise spontaneity and expressive gesture. Her artistic practice, free from complex theoretical references or explicit philosophical discussions, focuses on fundamental elements such as colour, form, proportion, rhythm, and structure, which serve as the core principles of her work. Steering clear of socio-political discourse, Yvonne Robert aims to foster a reflective space where viewers are encouraged to engage in personal introspection and discover their own interpretations. Her work focuses on evoking emotional responses and connections, striving to convey an energy that returns to a natural state where instinct takes precedence over prior knowledge. With a strong international presence, Yvonne Robert’s works have been exhibited in major cities around the world, including Sydney, New York, Paris, London, Berlin, and Madrid. Her works are featured in private collections across a range of countries, including the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, France, Saudi Arabia, and Singapore, underscoring the extensive reach and influence of her artistic endeavours.
Read more
Read the results of three focus groups held in Ancona, Lesvos, and Faro with citizens, cultural workers, and tourism professionals to investigate obstacles and possible solutions for implementing a cultural tourism model.
Read the article on the capacity-building workshop Sineglossa held in Ancona with cultural practitioners from Lesvos and Faro.
Read the interview with artists Paolo Lolicata and André Silva Sancho published by Mangrovia.
Credits
BlueTour is led by Sineglossa, in collaboration with LATRA (Greece), Municipio de Faro (Portugal), in association with Iliaktida (Greece), Universidade do Algarve (Portugal), Região de Turismo do Algarve (Portugal). The project is co-funded by the Creative Europe programme.