Os batismos da meia-noite

Joan ALVADO


The mountainous heart of Alto Minho, in northern Portugal, is a mystical territory where isolation has shaped the beliefs of its inhabitants for centuries. Here, the boundary with the afterlife fades, and spells, communication with the dead, possessions, night rituals, alleged witches, sacrifices, exorcisms, apparitions, and protective amulets still coexist.
As the world’s population clusters in overcrowded cities, modernity tends to erase ancestral beliefs in favor of rationalism. Yet, since the dawn of time, certain phenomena have defied logical explanation.

Os batismos da meia-noite is a photographic essay balancing fantasy and ethnographic research, revealing the persistence of a unique spiritual vision passed down through generations. This work explores a cultural heritage deeply rooted in the Serra da Peneda, where forces of light and darkness seem to wage battle since time immemorial.

curator       Fahr 021.3