Que Deus Reparta A Sorte - May God give everyone an equal slice of luck.
“Que deus reparta a sorte”, a slogan that serves both as a prayer and a battle cry, which is expressed before a bullfight in a small town in southern Portugal.
Guided only by her curiosity and a deep fascination with human behaviour, Eva Faché travelled to Montemore-o-novo, a small town in the Alentejo region near the Spanish border in 2017. For about a month, she lived with a family of forcados, a group of men that performs the pega de cara or pega de caras, which serves as the final event in a typical Portuguese bullfight. In that time period, she became a part of the family and the community, accompanying them to the farms where the bulls are bred, the horse stables, the arena, as well as many family gatherings. The result is an impressive body of work that interestingly enough, does not show much of the bullfighting itself. Instead, it became an attempt at understanding through images, what drives and fuels the flag bearers of this centuries old tradition that has faced sanctions and criticism throughout its history. It seems that, just like in the slogan of the forcados, Eva Faché gave everyone in that closed-knit community that is commonly faced with a lot of scepticism and resistance, an equal slice of objectivity.
The book 'Que Deus Reparta A Sorte' consist of approximately 132 pages and approximately 100 images, this first book by the Ghent native shows an intimate look at the practices, tradition and lives of the close-knit community behind the controversial spectacle of bullfighting.
The Book is published by Stockmans Art Books, Graphic Design by Tina De Souter and text by VOS