Echoes of Black Soil | Spatial Codes, Studio for Architecture & Inclusion

Zico Lopes, architect and owner of Spatial Codes, was born in Cape Verde and grew up in Rotterdam. As a result, he feels rooted between two worlds: craftsmanship and industrialisation. This personal experience forms the basis for the film Echoes of Black Soil, which explores how the traditional techniques of Cape Verdean craftspeople are under pressure from industrialisation, migration and globalisation. The film is a poetic journey through the lives of craftspeople who, with their hands, shape the identity of the community and the landscape on the islands of Santo Antão and São Vicente. Image and sound are used to capture the actions, rhythms and materials of a practice that is in danger of disappearing.