Since the beginning Zaratan entrusts the organization of the exhibition program to artists and thus embodies an anti-hierarchical perception of the art world - where artists, curators, gallerists, critics and the public are all considered "players" of the same game - and embraces the theory of expanded practice, in the sense of considering the artist not only as the “creator" of the work of art, but as a socially imbued cultural operator.
This project materializes itself over a series of exhibition proposals that not only involve, but rather depart from the artist-curators involved in the process.The aim is to stimulate procedures driven by the acceptance of uncertainty, articulating a particular way to integrate experimentation, spontaneity and discovery into curatorship, not subjected to conditions or commitments associated with predetermined results.
In 2024, Zaratan invites Maja Escher to take on the role of artist-curator with the organization of an exhibition.
COLIBRI EM CHAMAS appears in the context of this invitation and presents artistic works by Norberto Lobo, Oro Ìris and Yaw Tembe who share their research in drawing, sculpture and installation.

"It's made of natural fiber, this energetic current, woven of stars by dreams, washed at night by hot smokes. This semi-transparent veil, dry to the tones of the sun and the sounds of the womb. This weave is calm and agitated, where we lie in the sky and flame, with words that leave us absorbed, allowing crooked gestures to emerge. Without conforming to time and without telling to noise, we share the space we have inside. And this space exists when we are outside, this fluorescent fabric, which makes the spirit tremble and what gives us nourishment".

Laura dos Campos

Biographies:

MAJA ESCHER | Santiago do Cacém, 1990. She lives and works between Lisbon and Monte Novo da Horta dos Colmeeiros (Odemira). She completed her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Multimedia Art at FBAUL and studied at the Architecture and Visual Arts School – London (2011). Attended a ceramics course at Ar.Co and obtained a scholarship in Individual Project – Ceramics at the same institution (2018/19). She regularly participates in artistic residency programs, namely at the Oficinas do Convento in Montemor-o-Novo with Qual é a coisa qual é ela? Que quá é sá é? (2018), the Mastro dos Vizinhos participatory project at Casa da Cerca-Centro de Arte Contemporânea (2019), and How to make it rain (in 5 steps) at Worlding in London (2021) with the support of the Calouse Gulbenkian Foundation. Among the exhibitions, the following stand out: “Só pedimos que nos semeiem na terra” with Sérgio Carronha, Galeria Monitor Lisboa 2022; “Um Dia Choveu Terra”, Almada Municipal Art Gallery (2020); “Azul”, Ar.co Xabregas, (2018). Maja Escher's artistic practice has a collective and hybrid dimension in which drawings, found objects, collaborative practices and fieldwork methods are part of the process to develop site-specific installations and research projects. Establishing a relationship with places and people is essential to her work process: her projects often arise from a moment of sharing, a conversation, a song or an object found or offered.

NORBERTO LOBO | Born in Lisbon in 1982, Norberto Lobo is already one of the main figures in Portuguese music at the start of the century. Apart from any specialized academic education, Norberto built his path through a very rich and independent learning, both individual and communal, through a vast array of music. Based both on the fingerpicking of the American tradition of names like John Fahey or Robbie Basho, as well as on the melodic purity of Carlos Paredes, on the harmonic freedom of jazz or on the hypnosis of raggae and other uplifting music, Norberto Lobo's music is today something very much his own, always fascinating and in search of new forms. Over the years he has collaborated with artists such as München, Chullage or Lula Pena, in addition to being co-founder of the projects Norman, Colectivo Páscoa and Tigrala. He has shared stages or tours with a wide range of international musicians, such as Lhasa de Sela, Devendra Banhart, Larkin Grimm, Naná Vasconcelos or Rhys Chatham.

YAW TEMBE | Born in Swaziland, resident in Portugal for several years, graduated from the Escola Superior de Música de Lisboa in the Jazz course, and from the Faculdade de Belas Artes do Porto in Sculpture. He has been developing work characterized by the exploration of the concepts of transience and fragility in a process that has crossed several areas of creation - visual arts, video, dance; music has been the greatest excuse for experimentation in projects such as GUME, Sírius and Chão Maior. His work has been published in several national and international publishers, including Clean Feed, Creative Sources, Shhpuma, three: four records (CH), A giant Fern (UK), at the same time, he has collaborated with several creators (Marlene Freitas, Norberto Lobo, Evan Parker, Joshua Abrams & The Natural Information Society, Orphy Robinson, Hieroglyphic Being, Ricardo Jacinto, etc.) in spaces and festivals such as Serralves, Sines World Music Festival, FITEI, Teatro Maria Matos, Outfest, Culturgest, Montpellier Danse (FR), Athens and Epidaurus Festival (GR), SPRING Performing Arts Festival (NL), Kunstfestival (BE), KYOTO EXPERIMENT (JP), SIDance2018 (KR), Venice Biennale (IT), TransAmeriques Festival, Montreal (CA ) between others. Since 2020, he has worked as a music and sound arts programmer at Teatro do Bairro Alto in Lisbon.

ORO ÍRIS | (b. 1994) It is one of Laura dos Campos' pseudonyms. Variety artist, she grew up in Lisbon between family gatherings and wandering around the city. In 2017, she graduated in sculpture from FBAUL. From then on, she dedicated herself to moving her feet. She worked in the restaurant business, harvesting and picking fruit, as a hairdresser and cook. She participates in collective artistic projects such as performances and cultural gatherings. She learns and practices self-editing paper objects. She records all these and other events on large reams of paper and walls. Some exhibitions: Entremãos (2018, Galeria Municipal de Montemor-O-Novo), Primavera Primitiva (2018, L-A-T-E-L-I-E-R, Lausane), Concurso de São José (2020, Póvoa de Lanhoso) or Bonecreiro (2021, Pottery Museum of Barcelos), Oro n'a mata (2022, Lisbon).