Portuguese Crowberries
Corema album (also camarinhas or “Portuguese strawberries”) at Praia da Vigia, Melides, Portugal.
Corema album (also camarinhas or “Portuguese strawberries”) at Praia da Vigia, Melides, Portugal.
Photograph by Margarida Vale de Gato
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Before the mists of sea
amidst tenacious wattles
and crowns of thistles
with prickles strewn
in shrubs, they sprout
firm sperm drops
on vast dunes—
zest-flooding
thirst-quenching
I gorge and swoon
I bite and sip
with greed and stealth
and in-between the teeth
the seeds grit
which back at you I spit.
for all composure
meek and mild
these white berries
and wild—
endemic bareness.
Frente às brumas marinhas
entre tenazes acácias
e coroas de cardos
despontam nas silvas
de picos estreladas
brincos firmes, esperma
sobre dunas ermas—
sumo abrindo feixes
saciando sede
trinco onde floresce
sorvo e deliquesço
carnuda ganância
entreabertos dentes
macerando a polpa
cuspo-te sementes
por tanta temperança
branda e anémica
esta fruta branca
e selvagem—
a nudez endémica.
—Margarida Vale de Gato
Once Upon a Dune: Coastal (Hi)Stories
In April 2024, during a workshop at the School of Arts and Humanities of the University of Lisbon, specialists from different countries and backgrounds talked about dunes. In addition to the scientific topics presented, we discussed how to make our work more compelling and accessible to a wider audience. We wanted to share our plural views on coastal issues and the importance of taking this diversity into account when managing for the future, because beaches are made up of sea and sand, but also of people’s expectations and choices. This exhibition is our way to do this. Each of us has chosen an image/object that represents our personal connection with the coast. We do not want to present results or conclusions; as in a museum or art gallery, it is up to you to find meaning and to write your own script based on your impressions.
About the ExhibitionAbout the author
