Exhibition
The Big Church: Exploring possible futures for the former St. John the Evangelist Church
The Big Church: Exploring possible futures for the former St. John the Evangelist Church between Barr’d Islands and Joe Batt’s Arm
May 5 – July 31, 2023
Bringing together architectural models and renderings, this exhibition is a platform for discussion and speculation around the evolution of the Big Church (the former St. John the Evangelist Church between Barr’d Islands and Joe Batt’s Arm). The space will become a headquarters for Shorefast programming, including Fogo Island Arts, and a redesign is underway by Brussels-based architecture firm OFFICE.
The building will be the centre of gravity, forming a wider cluster that also includes the Church House, the Orange Lodge, and the SUF Hall. It will both organize its surroundings and define the outdoor gathering area. It will be the intuitive destination for any visitor to the island, a place to stop by and enter out of curiosity, and a gathering place for those living on Fogo Island. A venue for occasional events, it will also be a space where people work every day. It is a place where international artists and guests, Shorefast staff, and the community come together.
The long-term plans presented in this exhibition are theoretical and still in process; the intent is to share this process with the community and spark discussion about the adaptive reuse of historically significant buildings on Fogo Island.
Exhibition design by
OFFICE
Kersten Geers
David Van Severen
Jelena Pancevac
Elisa Guarnieri
Shinji Terada
Hadrien Nicora
Fogo Island Arts is grateful to NuytenDime Family for their generous support of The Big Church.