STATEMENTS FROM THE FOUNDERS

Many Fellows will remember Jacó, who died six months shy of his fifteenth birthday on July 1, 2022. Seen here with Taylor in a photo from April 2020, Jacó looks unsure about the new arrival, Xana, the beagle puppy who joined Sacatar on the first day of covid lockdown. Taylor is wearing a tee-shirt with a portrait of Jacó hand-painted during his halcyon days, so two Jacós in a single photograph.

International engagement is what we do. The local community interacts with professional artists at the height of their powers, and international artists draw inspiration from the strength and fecundity of the culture of Bahia. How do we carry forward this vision in the face of the challenges of the 21st century?

In 2022, with the assistance of Artists at Risk, we hosted a Russian dissident who fled Moscow during the first week of the war. You can read Dasha Sedova’s moving statement in this Annual Report. We concluded a partnership with Pro-Helvetia, the cultural foundation of Switzerland. We hosted a special session for Bahian writers in partnership with the Fundação Cultural do Estado da Bahia. And we completed an exchange of artists with the Djerassi Resident Artists Program in California. In 2023, we look forward to two new partnerships.

STANFORD UNIVERSITY: We will host a special session under the auspices of Stanford University for graduate students whose artistic practices engage issues of social justice. Sacatar Fellow Amara Tabor-Smith pushed to create this special session which will end at the Festa da Boa Morte, created in the early 19c by elderly black women who purchased each other’s freedom out of slavery, and maintained to this day by the candomblé priestesses of Cachoeira, Bahia.

FONDATION DES ARTISTES: Sacatar

Fellow

Pierre David, the director of the Moly-Sabata residency program in Sablons, France, urged the Fondation des Artistes in Paris to enter into a three-year Agreement with the Sacatar Foundation. Under this Agreement, the Instituto Sacatar will host two French artists annually. The first two artists will arrive in November 2023.

In addition, through our 2022 Open Call, we will provide Fellowships to forty-three artists from twenty-four countries on six continents in 2023 and into 2024.

But how can we do this in an environmentally sustainable manner? What about those international flights? In January 2022, we installed an array of thirty-two photovoltaic panels. Since February, the array has generated more electricity than Sacatar consumes. And the array has offset 14 tons of CO2. If you have ever tried to calculate your carbon footprint, you know how malleable the numbers can be, but I will keep this broad and simple. A roundtrip transatlantic flight generates one thousand kilos of CO2 per passenger. Our solar array has offset fourteen transatlantic flights. And at Sacatar, an international artist’s carbon “footprint” shrinks significantly compared to what she might generate had she stayed at home. By simply living for two months on the island of Itaparica, an American artist likely offsets her international flight. And over two months on the island of Itaparica, a European may offset one leg of her international journey. The trade-off between the importance and power of international engagement and the minimizing of environmentally destructive CO2 will remain a conundrum. But as we look to the future, we plan to optimize the presence of artists who – like the Stanford graduates – come with the intention to dive deep, with humility, to make a difference in themselves that reverberates to the communities with which they interact.

Taylor Van Horne Executive Director Instituto Sacatar

Statements From The Founders

Interactive dance performance during Open Studios led by the twin sisters Hsiao-Ting and Hsiao-Wei Hsieh

(Taiwan / 2022) in partnership with the Djerassi Resident Artists Program

QUESTION #17: Something New in 2022

Just before proofreading the final text for the online application form for 2023-24 Sacatar Fellowships, I made a last-minute request. I suggested that we add Question #17: members – to gain insight into a global psyche or mindset among the applicants seeking timeout on an island in northeastern Brazil. submitted in the English language, though English was not necessarily the first language of the applicants. An additional 71 applications were submitted in Portuguese, mostly from Brazil. We received three applications in Spanish and one in French.

Creative individuals forty-five years younger than me applied to our program last year.

Forty-five years ago, I protested on the streets of San Francisco, eager to argue with whomever about whatever. We of the babyboom generation had some global awareness. We read progressive weeklies and gathered in cafes to drink beer and critique our elders. Three years on, we would be grieving the loss of peers to the AIDS crisis – many of them artists.

What follows is a collage of responses which reflects the concerns of the 354 Sacatar applicants. Studying the responses to Question #17 was a moving experience and more enlightening than I had anticipated. Applicants might lead Sacatar in new directions.

I asked the evaluation committee members not to take into consideration the answer to this question. Committee members focus on work samples, CVs and project proposals. I wondered if such a survey-like question could assist us – Sacatar administrators and board

Scrolling the latest on a cell phone or doing Zoom or Facetime with a like-minded activist in, say, Bangladesh during a pandemic could not have entered our imaginations. Still, back then, we found ways to get around – as daredevils and hitchhikers – and to get our projects across borders. Any mention of an “artist residency program” aroused curiosity. The how-and-when-and-where about settling into such distant utopias demanded serious time in a library. Twenty years later, applications by internet provided the means.

I printed some of the responses to Question #17 submitted in Portuguese to five staff members who were not on vacation during this holiday month called Janeiro. I asked them to write down whatever thoughts came to them. We share their words here too.

To the 354 applicants, I say, “All of you are my teachers. I am sitting in the audience, and I am listening.”

Thanks to all,

Among the 354 applications from seventy nations Sacatar received last year, 279 were

Mitch Loch President Sacatar Foundation

A collage of responses reflecting the concerns of the 354 Sacatar applicants in 2022:

The most important issues are linked to the ways we live together - in communities and in relationship with nature. We have no idea of the worlds that inhabit our world. Nature must not be seen as a “resource” to be explored; it is a field of life in which we are fully involved. Humans are over-rated. Forests hold the wisdom of the Earth. We must not seek to dominate nature because it is our collaborator, it is part of the family. Nature begs us to be humble. We must think about our relationship to other species. There is a sacred union between us and the plants. Cooks and farmers are divine conduits in our collective food ecosystem. We must move away from practices where we compete for resources. We must develop systems around collaboration, reciprocity, restoration… humans to also capture carbon. We must preserve our natural ecosystems AND our folklore heritage. Nothing will remain untouched unless hard work is put into place to preserve it…

How can we honor our ancestors and elders by sharing their stories, songs, and dances with future generations? Art is the connective tissue between community and audience. The audience is anyone who ever rendered us invisible. The women in the family were too often hidden. It’s important to understand the impact of the transatlantic slave trade not just in America but across the diaspora. I’m intimately aware of the ramifications of slavery, how that vile institution reverberates today. I consider racism not only an American issue but a worldwide one. The diaspora varies from country to country. A people without identity is a lost people - and a lost people is a sick people…

A Sacatar residency is a chance to live simply and locally, to explore - and respect - the natural environment with a relatively low impact. Afro-Indigenous cultures of the Americas sustain themselves through their cultures and traditions. Brazil’s natural ecosystems and indigenous cultures hold the keys to biological preservation throughout the world - the carboncapturing ability of mangroves and recent, related research by

If we are well, we can move together and make improvements in the planetary sphere beyond our bodies. Connected, the womb and the earth are the sources of all life. As our forests continue to burn, conservative lawmakers are tightening their control over women’s reproductive rights. Structural racism, the extinction of species, extraction for profit: these are entwined. Climate change, racism, capitalism, colonialism, and patriarchythis web of ideologies creates a narrative that breeds alienation and annihilation. The global trends towards nationalism will jeopardize our ability to cope with the challenges of climate change. The human-centric environment initiated by Europeans, began a cycle of environmental destruction. The current climate disaster is in direct relationship to the residue of global colonial and imperial projects…

It’s so much “we vs. them.” This culture of fear of the ‘outsider’ is fast becoming a tool of control by extremist right-wing powers. What does ideological polarization and Bolsonaro’s rise to power mean about the power of the conservative evangelism? Limits on freedom of expression, hate speech, privacy and control over personal information is fundamental for the future of society…

A problem that society faces is a nuisance: the bombardment of information that we receive daily. Today, we are addicted to the internet and our phones - losing human touch and sharing. We are constantly distracted. The virtual and the physical are increasingly blurry. Technology has access to the forefront of our consciousness. What do we stand to gain, lose, and compromise about our own humanity in the face of these blurring realities? We might disconnect with the volume of data disseminated by the internet and social networks and take a slower look at what happens around us. For me, it is increasingly relevant to understand how to live with the minimum… the ones we know. Art, at its best, aspires to extend our site, our understanding, of the human condition - the oomph of how to live - now. Across all nations and races, storytelling has been the thread that has bound us to our predecessors. Knowing your neighbor’s story leads to united communities. The concept of “home” has become more open to interpretation. I think in terms of territory and not of identity. A territory allows us to be vast full of possibilities. Today’s humanity is moving increasingly towards sustainability and coexistence with nature, in a path without a return that expands more and more. We are the compost of the life in this planet. We must accept impermanence and how it is a precondition for all life. For change to occur, we must learn how to sit with our mortality. The future can and will exist…

How can one person make a positive impact? How can we return to (or at least thank) the land and the sea for everything that sustains us? We must imagine possibilities and systems outside of

The crisis of global capitalism informs my project… the widening wealth gap that pits extreme wealth against crushing poverty. Can globalization be “good” without continuing to eradicate the world’s diversity of peoples, their languages, religions, spiritualities, cosmologies, and natural environments? Inequality is known as one of the key precursors to the collapse of all major civilizations. Consumer societies are losing their mysteries, their beliefs and their spiritualities. We must therefore “re-enchant” life. Salvador de Bahia is a gateway to the notion of “pluriverse” - to the idea of “a world where many worlds fit”…

Five Sacatar staff members share their concerns and contributions:

I think that greed is destroying our planet. And social media networks are also destroying humanity. People now live in the digital age. It would be great if humanity moved back to reality, towards more awareness.

The composting process that has been in use for some years by the Instituto Sacatar helps to preserve the environment. Organic waste such as peels, stalks, leaves, eggshells, and coffee grounds are separated for composting and turned into fertilizer to be used on site. Soiled paper, bones, and large seeds are disposed of in a local landfill. Glass, aluminum, clean plastics, and waste-free paper – like newspapers - are separated and taken to a recycling cooperative on the island.

The abundant fruits harvested on the property of the Instituto Sacatar (mangos, pitangas, acerola, cashew fruits and nuts, seriguela, tamarind, and even breadfruit) are used in the preparation of juices, desserts, purees, and vatapá. Environmental sustainability is very important for future generations. Usually, we present the Fellows with a paper straw and an agua de coco (directly off our trees!) when they first arrive and before they unpack their suitcases.

Dete Nicácio , Meals

If human beings valued our forests and our sea more than they do, then avoiding deforestation and pollution would already be a way to express our thanks. And to honor our ancestors and elders, we should have a project in the schools so that our youth could research more about their ancestries. We need to respect our ancestors more and truly value everything they have left for us.

Africa-based religions and traditions like candomblé, and capoeira, samba de roda, and the healing of medicinal leaves - these were passed down by our ancestors. Today many people are prejudiced against candomblé due to misinformation. Many people are told that candomblé is evil, when in fact it brings you peace: peace of mind, peace with yourself and with others. It is a religion that respects nature, the sea, the rivers, and all the best that Earth offers us. Like others in Itaparica, I enjoy helping to make it possible for Sacatar Fellows to directly learn about and experience ceremonies that are important in my culture. When I hear that ceremonies are happening, I alert the office.

Francisco Galvão , Security

We live on an island. The sea provides us with fish, shellfish, etc. The land offers us trees with fruits and with flowers that beautify the environment. In my view, we should return to thanking the land and the sea and all that sustains us, and we should teach others to do the same, so that future generations can also benefit from such beauties. We also must value and preserve our regional culture and traditions such as stories, dances, and songs.

I have the privilege of working in an environment that brings me peace and harmony, that celebrates local cultural traditions and the diversity that Fellows bring with them. While watching over the property, I notice that locals and tourists appear enchanted by the forest, beach, and architecture. It is a kind of paradise, I think.

I see the use of the internet being increasingly dangerous to society when not used responsibly. The consequences for the misuse of the internet can end up harming people. As examples, self-exposure and defamation can end up generating conflicts and disagreements. The internet was designed to connect people around the world. That’s why we should share positive things that are good for others. We should not expose something that could harm others. The net should be used responsibly for sales and businesses and as a tool to make the world better. Spread love, not pain.

Reginaldo Roque , Security

By using energy generated by the sun, we are contributing to the health of the environment. Traditional sources of energy often pollute, emitting gases that rise into the atmosphere and cause the greenhouse effect and global warming with catastrophic consequences such as droughts and floods. As the Instituto Sacatar strives to care for the environment, the installation of photovoltaics was of great importance, and the electricity generated reduces the electric bill for all three meters that register consumption on site. We have implemented the recycling of metal, plastic, paper, glass, and organic waste. All collected materials are sent for recycling, including, when viable, recyclable materials we retrieve from garbage left on the beach. A woman named Aidê fetches our recyclables and takes them to a processing center she created. We depend on her to retrieve these residual materials which we store on site. She comes from another city, and here in Itaparica she does this work for only two institutions: the Instituto Sacatar and the SESC Grande Hotel. She comes every two months when the volume of residual materials becomes overwhelming. Recycling is very important. Just imagine. If left to decompose:

Organic waste – 2 months

Paper – 4-6 months

Metal and Plastic – 100 years

Glass – 4,000 years

Rodrigo Benitez , Maintenance

I continue to think of Sacatar as a primary experience in my life and work! Thank you for that, much gratitude.

Bruce Odland (Sound Art / USA / 2017) writing in October

2022