Two Shades of Gray is an exhibition that emerged from Alexandre Delmar’s artistic residency in Madeira in August 2024, as part of the Semeadores project. The exhibition explores the island’s pastoral strategies and dynamics, addressing themes such as herding, communication, and orientation. Initially displayed in Funchal between October 2024 and January 2025, it now arrives at the Côa Museum in March 2025 with a new focus on the languages of the mountains.

The exhibition features two main video pieces:

• Prayer to the Ears – Examines the visual code of ear cuts on goats and sheep used by shepherds for identification. This practice, passed down through generations, forms a unique and symbolic vocabulary.

• The Speech of Goats and Shepherds – Madeira – A study on the communication between shepherds and their animals, documenting vocalizations and calls characteristic of Madeira. During the residency, the strong influence of the region’s topography on how sounds echo through the landscape was observed.

The exhibition is part of the Inter-species axis of the Semeadores project, which seeks to explore the flows between rural and urban spaces, connecting landscape, history, and ethnography.

Alexandre Delmar is a visual artist who investigates human/non-human relationships, oral traditions, and survival strategies. He is the co-founder of A Recoletora, a project that combines art and ethnobotany.

Philosopher André Barata, a collaborator in the project, reflects on the language of shepherds, highlighting its non-anthropocentric nature and its deep connection to geography and landscape.

The exhibition will be on display in the Auroque Room at the Côa Museum from March 14 to March 30, 2025.