EXHIBITION SCHIST PIONEERS - Côa Museum
From March 10 to May 14, 2017, Côa Museum, in its temporary exhibition room 1, host the exhibition "Schist Pioneers” (Pioneiros do Xisto), co-organized by CIBIO-InBIO and the Côa Parque Foundation.
This exhibition is supported by Fundo Baixo Sabor in the context of the project "Rupestrian art and flora as distinguishing factors in the promotion of the Sabor valley".
BIOLOGICAL PROCESSES OF OPEN-AIR ROCK ART COLONIZATION
Open-air rock art is continuously exposed to the colonizing action of so-called pioneer bacteria, fungi, algae, lichens and mosses. With more than two hundred species registered so far in the Côa Valley, lichens are among the most prolific schist pioneers. The presence of lichens on engraved surfaces is differently interpreted by specialists in different disciplines. The lichenologist regards the appearance of a lichen mosaic as a natural feature of rock surfaces, the species diversity being aesthetically pleasing and ecologically interesting, as there is a direct relation between the composition of the flora and the passage of time. Those concerned with the preservation of open-air rock art view lichens as unwanted invaders that may hide incisions and fine details, and depending on the species present and environmental conditions, cause damage to engraved motifs. Scientists researching within cultural contexts cannot ignore the complexity of the effects of natural phenomena in heritage preservation, be they physical or chemical, and mediated or not by biological factors.
The exhibition "Schist pioneers: biological processes of open-air rock art colonization" aims to synthesize such complexity. Through images, objects used in the course of research studies and selected metaphors, visitors are invited to embark on a journey through the various phases of a scientific study focused on the consequences of lichen colonization in what conerns rock art preservation.
Exhibition curators: Joana Marques, Helena Hespanhol and Cristiana Vieira
Click here to see the official invitation for the opening of the exhibition.
