The self-taught artist António Costa, known as Toy Coast, natural de Moreanes, municipality of Mértola, will present from next wednesday, in the Multipurpose Tent of this village, the crib “I make art from the trash”.
After in 2019 have exhibited the work in the ballroom of the Casa do Povo in Santana de Cambas, since last year it did not take place due to the pandemic, António Costa exhibits this year at Tenda Multiusos, in Mértola.
In his facebook page, António Costa said that “building cribs is an experience that allows you to leave the real world and dive into different worlds, where the noise of difficulties is replaced by the silence of serenity, the construction work is worth even more than the finished work", justified.
In 2014, António Costa exhibited his first work on the street, with 7 large-scale images in Moreanes. The following year this figure increased to 30 images made with various recycled materials from waste.
The first closed space edition took place in 2016 and the nativity scene was exhibited at the Moreanes Primary School. In editing 2021, on display will be nearly five dozen life-size sculptures, from the holy family to many other characters and animals.
In addition to performing all the figures and scenery with recyclable materials, and tissue, paper and ceramic objects, the artist recycles appliances engines to give life to their characters. The artist says that "this is a way to show people that what is old and has no utility can be used to do a magnificent job".
The desire to build the most iconic scene Christmas follows the artist from childhood in thought, but it was revived in 2001 year in which, on the journey of young people of the Municipality of Mértola the city of Rome, He visited the Vatican and saw a nativity scene that never came out of the head.
The crib will be on display at Tenda Multiusos, located near the fire station, Admission is free and can be visited every day., from 1 December and up 6 January, from 9:00 to 13:00 and from 14:00 to 19:00.
Teixeira Correia
(journalist)
