Nightmarish Toxic Delights is a collection of experimental videopoetry from Lisbon, Portugal. The author João Meirinhos takes us on a journey for which he states '' Adopting multiple personas (insider / outsider / artist / performer / ethnographer) as to validate my understanding of things, I intuitively use photography, text and film as a way to engage in diverse and often uncomfortable situations, attempting to depict settings from habitually disregarded angles in order to identify and reveal the often unconscious procedures from which political, social and spatial structures emerge. I tell audiovisual tales that stem from my avid interest towards discordant/conflitual interactions between peoples and places: How social phenomena inextricably embed themselves into inhabited landscapes? And how environments archive endemic human behaviors, beliefs and representational systems? How are we perceived by others and how others perceive themselves?''.
Below you can find more from the collection.
His more audiovisual poetry remixing the Portuguese most important revolutionary song can be found below.
The project is part of the subthemes Opportunity and Connect not divide.
Author
João Meirinhos
João Meirinhos is a Portuguese filmmaker, artist, and visual anthropologist with a distinctive focus on experimental ethnography and socially engaged art. Based in Lisbon since 2016, he founded Filmes Sombra, a production company that blends art, audiovisual projects, and anthropology. His work often explores complex themes such as social justice, environmental awareness, and the intersections between human behavior and physical environments.
A hallmark of Meirinhos' career is his role in the “Cinéma du Désert” project, a solar-powered mobile cinema initiative. Since 2010, he has collaborated with the Italian NGO Bambini Nel Deserto to provide free film screenings to remote communities across West Africa and Central Asia. Through photography, text, and film, Meirinhos seeks to uncover overlooked social narratives and the unconscious processes shaping political and spatial dynamics. His work often challenges conventional perspectives, creating thought-provoking narratives about how landscapes and environments reflect societal structures.
Meirinhos is also known for his experimental videopoetry, such as the collection "Nightmarish Toxic Delights," which delves into themes of conflict and representation (and was his second participation at Versopolis). His artistic approach frequently combines multiple roles—artist, performer, ethnographer—to deepen his understanding of diverse cultures and social phenomena.
