03/06/2026
Monument to the Ordinary, an installation at the entrance of Santa Clara-a-Nova monastery in Coimbra, designed for the Coimbra Anozero Biennale 2026.
The project reuses abandoned cabinets left by the military after vacating the Santa Clara-a-Nova convent. Assembled into a tower-like structure, the cupboards form a signpost near the convent entrance, giving the biennale visibility at its main venue. Having lost their storage function, they gain a new role as a landmark remotely reminiscent of a silhouette figure of a traditional Coimbra student in a graduation gown.
Unlike traditional monuments, which commemorate exceptional figures or events, this work proposes a monument to the ordinary. The cupboards carry traces of everyday life: wear, repair, age, and use. They evoke anonymous gestures—objects stored, clothes folded, things kept rather than discarded—quiet actions that, repeated over generations, form the unnoticed foundation of collective life.
Biennale Anozero - Bienal de Coimbra
Curated by Curated by Hans Ibelings, John Zeppetelli, Daniel Madeira
Photos by Francisco Ascensão