A new artistic installation has found its home at the MiratecArts property on Pico Island, adding another distinctive piece to the growing collection of outdoor works that define the MiratecArts Galeria Costa, one of the Azores’ most innovative spaces for art in nature.
This latest addition comes from Barro & Barro, the creative partnership of Dutch artists Marjella Vermazeren and Mart Jansen, who have called Pico home for more than a decade. Their new work, titled Pacific Entrance, has been installed in the special “Canadian Backalley” section of the property, an area dedicated to artistic interventions that connect Portugal and Canada through contemporary expression.
The artists, whose studio and gallery are located in the parish of Ribeirinha on Pico Island, have become familiar figures within the island’s cultural landscape. Welcoming hundreds of visitors each year, Barro & Barro have collaborated with MiratecArts since the organization’s earliest days and have participated in numerous festivals and artistic initiatives across the Azores. Pacific Entrance marks their second installation at MiratecArts Galeria Costa.
According to Terry Costa, founder and artistic director of MiratecArts, the new work brings renewed energy to a particularly meaningful corner of the property.
“The special section of the grounds that invites artists to transform the large cut stones connecting Portugal and Canada has gained new life with this striking work by Barro & Barro,” Costa said. “This area continues to grow as a space for artistic dialogue, and we welcome proposals both from artists living in the Azores and from Canadian artists. Since the pandemic, the property has welcomed an average of 5,000 visitors annually. It is the perfect place to spend an hour or two enjoying a slow walk surrounded by art and nature.”
Located between the center of Candelária parish and the Mirateca site on Pico Island, the MiratecArts Galeria Costa offers approximately one kilometer of art integrated into the natural landscape. Set amid the UNESCO-recognized Pico Vineyard Culture Landscape, native vegetation, and forested areas, visitors encounter installations, sculptures, paintings, and points of cultural interest that together create an evolving open-air gallery.
More than a traditional exhibition space, the site functions as a living laboratory for contemporary artistic experimentation, encouraging dialogue between creativity, landscape, and community. The result is an experience that reflects both the natural beauty of Pico and the vibrant cultural imagination of the artists who contribute to it.
As the newest addition to this growing collection, Pacific Entrance reinforces the vision of MiratecArts as a place where international perspectives meet island identity, creating works that invite reflection, discovery, and connection.
MiratecArts Galeria Costa is open year-round and may be visited at any time of day. Additional information is available through the official MiratecArts website.
Translated and adapted from a MiratecArts Press Release. Photos from MiratecArts, Terry Costa, director.
