Melodies in Migration | Bonnie Bopela
27-30.06.2024

Bonnie Bopela is a South African Master of architecture graduate whose passion for the intersection of art, musical performance, and architecture is the central driving force of her research interests. During her residency at INSTITUTO, Bonnie worked on the installation “Melodies in Migration”, a mixed media collage that explores the phenomenological relationship between music and architecture in Porto. This piece was presented at Batalha – Centro de Cinema, during Arquiteturas Film Festival. It combines delicate watercolour and spatial analysis to depict her spontaneous encounters with music and dance across the city. Extending her architectural research on the erasure of African music in a post-colonial context, this artwork highlights the symbiotic relationship between Porto’s live street performances and its cityscape. Street performances— featuring Fado, Jazz, Samba, Soul, and Gospel (to name a few)—create a vibrant tapestry of African, South American, and Portuguese-descended cultures, performed by a diverse range of communities, from acclaimed professionals to the marginalised that I have encountered thus far. The collage’s azulejo tile style symbolises the dynamic rhythms of these performances, interwoven with the city’s permanent architectural heritage. This representation emphasises how music and dance activate public spaces, transforming them into vibrant cultural nodes. The disrupted tile facade serves as a metaphor for the enduring yet evolving cultural landscape, reflecting the intricate and interconnected nature of Porto’s diverse musical and architectural heritage. At the intersection of art and spatial analysis, “Melodies in Migration” aims to ignite dialogue, foster cultural collaboration, and inspire inclusive spatial interventions. It seeks to give a voice to marginalised cultures, traditions, and narratives, celebrating their rich aural heritage.

Bonnie Bopela also participated in the debate “Back to the Future”, that brought together African or Afro-descendant authors and collectives, with Yolana Lemos (Banga Colectivo) aiming to enrich and expand the reflections brought by the film sessions and the walk of the Experimental programme of the AFF24. The session introduced new considerations, seeking to interconnect decolonial projects with broader perspectives on the reach of professional practice, in an effort to bring architecture and society closer together. Debate moderated by joão queirós [ESE – Politécnico do Porto, Instituto de Sociologia – U.P.]

A residência de Bonnie Bopela realizou-se no âmbito do programa InResidence, Ágora – Cultura e Desporto, E.M.