The beach is the place of leisure, work, meetings, sexu­ality, repression, rest, play, sun and more. It is the zone of instability, transformation and uncertainty. Its fine sand soil changes its form again and again over time and in function of desires. One person or several? The footprints confuses us, indicates multiple hypotheses that fill our imaginary and defy any sort of prediction. It takes the day, the wind and the tide to pass by so that, at dawn, the territory becomes available again, always open to what will come. The beach makes you think about time, about a way of being and stop being.

The beach and the time, Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro RJ Brasil, 2018. Architect Pedro Varella / Gru.a Arquitetos
Foto divulgação / disclosure image [Acervo / Collection Gru.a Arquitetos]

The 9th edition of Tempo_Festival - International Rio de Janeiro Performing Arts Festival - presents “the beach and the time”, an installation concieved by the architect Pedro Varella (Grua: Group Of Architects) with performances created by the French choreographer Julie Desprairies. Both are participating in the Crossed Artistic Residency Program of the Brazilian French Institute, which took place in 2018 during the festival, and is scheduled to continue in 2019 in France.

The beach and the time, Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro RJ Brasil, 2018. Construction: structure placement and sand handling. Architect Pedro Varella / Gru.a Arquitetos
Foto divulgação / disclosure image [Acervo / Collection Gru.a Arquitetos]

The installation “the beach and the time” is structured by two combined operations: to demarcate and to relocate. The first consists on the insertion of a large 31mx31m and 50cm high quadrilateral structure that set the limits of the work area while serving as a sup­port for the reception of the public. The second occurs from the movement of the existing matter in the place - sand and water – that when repositioned give rise to a new topographic landscape. Combined, the two operations generate a scenario that gradually changes over the Tempo Festival.

The beach and the time, Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro RJ Brasil, 2018. Architect Pedro Varella / Gru.a Arquitetos
Foto divulgação / disclosure image [Acervo / Collection Gru.a Arquitetos]

data sheet

project
The beach and the time

place
Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro RJ Brasil

year
2018

area
31m x 31m

design architecture
Pedro Varella / Gru.a – Grupo de Arquitetos

curated by
Tempo Festival

choreography
Julie Desprairies

photos
Divulgação / Gru.a – Grupo de Arquitetos