There is a 900 basil plants installation sitting at the Avenida dos Aliados. Feel free to “smell the basil”! It’s St John

Inhale and exhale and know that tradition still remains, as far as basil scents define St. John’s feast, as well. They are one of the celebration’s highest symbols; more than enough reason to place the installation “Flores de Manjerico”, at the Avenida dos Aliados, by the architecture studio FAHR 021.3, which features 900 basil plants in a wooden structure. This is an initiative by Porto City Hall, via the municipal company Ágora- Cultura e Desporto. Enjoy and scent it until 23 June.

The "Festa de São João" is rooted in pagan courtship rituals, where basil plants, carnations, lemon verbena, "leeks" and plastic hammers are used to dole out friendly whacks on the head of passers-by. This type of celebration will be waiting for everyone, same time next year. In the meantime, the 900 basil plants literally sitting at the Avenida dos Aliados invite everyone to embark on a season’s past journey of a vibrant city, by providing an immersive experience. The scent of basil will inspire the nostalgia moods, for sure, but it will inspire the reliving of happier moments past and future, as well, while the present is being sorted out.

“This structure is related to the idea of a hanging garden through the basil benches in the season of popular saints, a highlight that emerges in the enveloping area as though it was a valley of basil plants”, explains architect Hugo Reis, in charge of the setting of the installation and the maintenance of the structure.

This piece is authored by the collective FAHR 021.3, and it holds a set of basil plants that emerges within the public space and invites people to become emotionally immersed. This is a set of two large structures, displayed in V shape, which enables people to walk through it.

“This structure is extremely simple, light, and somewhat hand-made, featuring this hue that occupies the city and stimulates people’s attention”, the architect adds.

The installation is undertaken with basil plants provided by Porto Municipal Vegetable Garden. This tradition started in May 2014, when the basil plants would set the scene for the famous “Rusgas da cidade, where at nightfall, people would go out to the streets to revel, forming "rusgas", aka spontaneous marches of people in groups, singing and dancing, towards a festival or fair. These are now temporarily suspended due to the covid-19 pandemic.

“All the basil from the installation will be gifted to the population, once the installation is removed. Even if there are no celebrations, it is nice to be able to keep this tradition and the symbols of the city”, furthers Hugo Reis.

The installation "Flores de Manjerico" is telling of a tradition that the city does not relinquish, which is evocative of the popular celebrations and that can be visited (and mostly scented) until the evening of 23 June, at the Avenida dos Aliados.