In Portuguese, Avó stands for grandmother, and is usually shortened to ‘vó’.
The project ‘lovó’ aims to use oral history and art, to put forward several voices of Portuguese speaking grandmothers who live in the city of Esch sur Alzette and have made this place their home.
Leaving home gives another dimension to family ties; and for those who leave their home as a family, this nucleus gains more importance, and home then becomes synonym to these internal bonds. Working with the word home can therefore start in the family and around its pillars.
To link between home and the city, grandmothers act as the perfect medium, linking between the private and the public, the individual and the collective. They bring the family experience to a collective level and through Intangible Cultural Heritage, they transmit historical and cultural knowledge to new generations.
LOVÓ will therefore focus on bringing to the surface the voices of the of Portuguese speaking grandmothers of Esch sur Alzette, in families of migrant descents, and in society at a larger scale, as being the bearers of Intangible Cultural Heritage, whose knowhow and knowledge on traditional practices, folklore and culinary arts are constitutive of the culture and have shaped the city of Esch in the past 50 years.
Outcome
The grandmothers’ testimonies will be presented to the public in the format of audio-visual tours, encompassing light installations created by visual artists, accompanied by audio clips from the interviews.
Fl’Esch Back
LOVÓ is part of the second phase of the Fl'Esch Back facebook group development (2024 and 2025), which aims to explore and highlight the city of Esch-sur-Alzette's narrative of inclusivity and diversity. FL’ESCH Back will therefore collaborate with various groups of immigrants who have moved to and lived in Esch-sur-Alzette, particularly focusing on presenting the perspectives of inhabitants of Portuguese descent, as well as those from recently arrived Syrian nationals who currently hold refugee status.
Are we Home yet?
The subject of home has its importance in both the context of the migrant/exile and the host country/city. Addressing the question of home and its numerous interpretations will allow for further reflection on the migrant/exile experience and their integration process.
