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Do not pay to stay here as an artist
Convento S. Francisco的点评
点评：I almost never leave one-star reviews, but artists deserve to know what they're signing up for before spending their money here.
My criticism is specifically about the summer residency. If Convento de Mértola is not equipped to safely host artists during July and August, then it simply should not be accepting paying residents during those months.
I arrived after months of planning, only to discover that the reality was completely different from what had been communicated.
The first shock came immediately: there were mice in my bed when I arrived. That alone should have been enough to question whether the accommodation was suitable for guests.
The next surprise was that I had specifically asked before booking whether I would be okay without a car. I was reassured that I would, and that supermarkets were about 10 minutes away on foot. This was simply not true. The nearest supermarket is at least 25 minutes away, requiring you to walk alongside 70 km/h roads with no sidewalks, including crossing a dangerous bridge. In the middle of a Portuguese summer, this isn't just inconvenient—it's unsafe.
It became even worse when I discovered that the tap water wasn't drinkable, something I was never warned about beforehand. Since you can't rely on the water on site, you're forced to make those long walks regularly just to buy drinking water. I was told that rides or taxis could sometimes be arranged, but in the same conversation I was also told that the owner would be leaving halfway through the residency. So there was never any reliable solution in place. Basic necessities like safe drinking water should not depend on hoping someone is around to give you a lift.
The studios themselves are completely unsuitable for summer. They have little to no insulation, making them unbearably hot throughout the day. I was initially told to keep the windows and doors closed to keep the space cool, despite the fact that I was expected to paint inside. Any artist knows that spending hours working with paint fumes in an enclosed, unventilated room is unsafe. When I pointed this out, the advice suddenly changed to "oh, but you can ventilate." That contradiction alone shows how little thought has been given to the actual working conditions of artists.
This is the fundamental issue: Convento de Mértola is charging artists for a residency without making the investments necessary to make it liveable in the summer. If you're inviting people to live and work there during July and August, then proper insulation, safe accommodation, reliable drinking water, and realistic transport options aren't luxuries, they're the bare minimum.
After one night, it became clear that I couldn't safely stay or work there, so I left. Despite leaving almost immediately, they refused to refund any of the residency fee.
The organization repeatedly describes itself as a non-profit, but that argument is difficult to take seriously when artists are paying substantial fees while there appears to have been so little investment in improving the facilities. The family running the residency lives on the property, yet basic infrastructure (safe drinking water, adequate insulation, and accommodation free from pests) has clearly not been prioritized.
What makes this especially painful is that I had already postponed this residency once after breaking my ankle, because they refused to refund me at that time and would only allow me to reschedule within a year. I reorganized my entire life to attend this residency. I turned down paid freelance work, rented out my apartment, bought art supplies in Lisbon, rented a car to get there, and spent a year looking forward to this opportunity. Instead, I found conditions that made staying impossible.
There is enormous potential in this place, but until significant investment is made in the facilities (or until they stop accepting artists during the summer) I cannot recommend this residency to anyone.
My criticism is specifically about the summer residency. If Convento de Mértola is not equipped to safely host artists during July and August, then it simply should not be accepting paying residents during those months.
I arrived after months of planning, only to discover that the reality was completely different from what had been communicated.
The first shock came immediately: there were mice in my bed when I arrived. That alone should have been enough to question whether the accommodation was suitable for guests.
The next surprise was that I had specifically asked before booking whether I would be okay without a car. I was reassured that I would, and that supermarkets were about 10 minutes away on foot. This was simply not true. The nearest supermarket is at least 25 minutes away, requiring you to walk alongside 70 km/h roads with no sidewalks, including crossing a dangerous bridge. In the middle of a Portuguese summer, this isn't just inconvenient—it's unsafe.
It became even worse when I discovered that the tap water wasn't drinkable, something I was never warned about beforehand. Since you can't rely on the water on site, you're forced to make those long walks regularly just to buy drinking water. I was told that rides or taxis could sometimes be arranged, but in the same conversation I was also told that the owner would be leaving halfway through the residency. So there was never any reliable solution in place. Basic necessities like safe drinking water should not depend on hoping someone is around to give you a lift.
The studios themselves are completely unsuitable for summer. They have little to no insulation, making them unbearably hot throughout the day. I was initially told to keep the windows and doors closed to keep the space cool, despite the fact that I was expected to paint inside. Any artist knows that spending hours working with paint fumes in an enclosed, unventilated room is unsafe. When I pointed this out, the advice suddenly changed to "oh, but you can ventilate." That contradiction alone shows how little thought has been given to the actual working conditions of artists.
This is the fundamental issue: Convento de Mértola is charging artists for a residency without making the investments necessary to make it liveable in the summer. If you're inviting people to live and work there during July and August, then proper insulation, safe accommodation, reliable drinking water, and realistic transport options aren't luxuries, they're the bare minimum.
After one night, it became clear that I couldn't safely stay or work there, so I left. Despite leaving almost immediately, they refused to refund any of the residency fee.
The organization repeatedly describes itself as a non-profit, but that argument is difficult to take seriously when artists are paying substantial fees while there appears to have been so little investment in improving the facilities. The family running the residency lives on the property, yet basic infrastructure (safe drinking water, adequate insulation, and accommodation free from pests) has clearly not been prioritized.
What makes this especially painful is that I had already postponed this residency once after breaking my ankle, because they refused to refund me at that time and would only allow me to reschedule within a year. I reorganized my entire life to attend this residency. I turned down paid freelance work, rented out my apartment, bought art supplies in Lisbon, rented a car to get there, and spent a year looking forward to this opportunity. Instead, I found conditions that made staying impossible.
There is enormous potential in this place, but until significant investment is made in the facilities (or until they stop accepting artists during the summer) I cannot recommend this residency to anyone.
翻译：我几乎从不给出一星评价，但艺术家们在在此花钱消费之前，理应了解自己将会面临怎样的情况。
我的批评主要针对夏季驻留计划。如果梅尔托拉修道院在七八月份不具备安全接待艺术家的能力，那就根本不应该在那几个月里接纳付费驻留者。
我历经数月筹划才抵达此处，结果却发现实际情况与事先告知的完全不符。第一个打击立刻就来了：我到的时候，床上竟然有老鼠。仅凭这一点就足以让人质疑这家住宿场所是否适合客人入住。
另一个意外情况是，我在预订前特别询问过没有车是否也能应付。对方向我保证说没问题，还说超市离这儿步行约10分钟就能到达。但这根本不是事实。最近的超市至少也要走25分钟才能到达。你需要沿着时速达70公里且无人行道的道路行走，甚至还要穿过一座十分危险的桥。在葡萄牙的盛夏时节，这不仅带来诸多不便，更存在安全隐患。
更糟糕的是，我发现自来水根本不能饮用，而事先却没有任何人提醒过我这一点。由于无法饮用现场的水，我不得不经常进行那些漫长的步行，只为了购买饮用水。虽然有人告诉我有时可以安排车辆或出租车接送。不过在同一场谈话中，我还得知房东会在驻留计划进行到一半时离开。所以根本就不存在任何可靠的解决办法。像安全饮用水这样的基本需求，不应该指望有人在身边来帮你解决。
这些工作室本身也完全不适合夏季使用。它们几乎没有隔热措施，导致整个白天室内都热得难以忍受。起初，有人让我把门窗关上以保持室内凉爽。尽管按规定我应该在室内作画，但任何艺术家都清楚：在密闭且不通风的房间里长时间接触油漆气味是非常不安全的。当我指出这一点时，得到的回应却变成了“哦，其实可以通风啊”。仅仅这一矛盾之处就足以说明，人们对艺术家的实际工作环境根本没怎么上心。这就是根本问题：梅尔托拉修道院向艺术家收取驻留费用，却不愿投入必要的资金来确保此处在夏季也能适宜居住。如果你邀请人们在七八月份在那里生活并创作，那么良好的隔热措施、安全的住宿环境、可靠的饮用水供应以及切实可行的交通方式就绝非奢侈品，而是最起码的条件。
只住了一晚，我就意识到自己无法在那里安全地居住或工作，于是便离开了。尽管他们几乎立刻就离开了，却拒绝退还任何驻留费用。
该机构屡次声称自己是非营利组织，但当艺术家们需要支付高额费用，而设施改善方面的投入却少得可怜时，这种说法就难以令人信服了。经营该驻留项目的家族就住在园区内，但这里连最基本的基础设施（安全的饮用水、足够的隔热措施……）都缺乏。无虫害的住宿环境显然并未被列入优先考虑事项。
最令人痛苦的是，我此前曾因脚踝骨折而推迟过一次参加 residency的机会——当时他们拒绝退款，只允许我在一年内重新安排时间。为了能参加这次活动，我重新规划了整个生活：我拒绝了有报酬的自由职业工作，把公寓租了出去，在里斯本购置了美术用品，还租了一辆车前往那里。我期盼这个机会已经一年了。然而，实际情况却让我根本无法留下来。
这个地方有着巨大的潜力，但在设施方面得不到大量投资之前（或者夏季不再接收艺术家之前），我实在无法向任何人推荐这个驻留项目。
我的批评主要针对夏季驻留计划。如果梅尔托拉修道院在七八月份不具备安全接待艺术家的能力，那就根本不应该在那几个月里接纳付费驻留者。
我历经数月筹划才抵达此处，结果却发现实际情况与事先告知的完全不符。第一个打击立刻就来了：我到的时候，床上竟然有老鼠。仅凭这一点就足以让人质疑这家住宿场所是否适合客人入住。
另一个意外情况是，我在预订前特别询问过没有车是否也能应付。对方向我保证说没问题，还说超市离这儿步行约10分钟就能到达。但这根本不是事实。最近的超市至少也要走25分钟才能到达。你需要沿着时速达70公里且无人行道的道路行走，甚至还要穿过一座十分危险的桥。在葡萄牙的盛夏时节，这不仅带来诸多不便，更存在安全隐患。
更糟糕的是，我发现自来水根本不能饮用，而事先却没有任何人提醒过我这一点。由于无法饮用现场的水，我不得不经常进行那些漫长的步行，只为了购买饮用水。虽然有人告诉我有时可以安排车辆或出租车接送。不过在同一场谈话中，我还得知房东会在驻留计划进行到一半时离开。所以根本就不存在任何可靠的解决办法。像安全饮用水这样的基本需求，不应该指望有人在身边来帮你解决。
这些工作室本身也完全不适合夏季使用。它们几乎没有隔热措施，导致整个白天室内都热得难以忍受。起初，有人让我把门窗关上以保持室内凉爽。尽管按规定我应该在室内作画，但任何艺术家都清楚：在密闭且不通风的房间里长时间接触油漆气味是非常不安全的。当我指出这一点时，得到的回应却变成了“哦，其实可以通风啊”。仅仅这一矛盾之处就足以说明，人们对艺术家的实际工作环境根本没怎么上心。这就是根本问题：梅尔托拉修道院向艺术家收取驻留费用，却不愿投入必要的资金来确保此处在夏季也能适宜居住。如果你邀请人们在七八月份在那里生活并创作，那么良好的隔热措施、安全的住宿环境、可靠的饮用水供应以及切实可行的交通方式就绝非奢侈品，而是最起码的条件。
只住了一晚，我就意识到自己无法在那里安全地居住或工作，于是便离开了。尽管他们几乎立刻就离开了，却拒绝退还任何驻留费用。
该机构屡次声称自己是非营利组织，但当艺术家们需要支付高额费用，而设施改善方面的投入却少得可怜时，这种说法就难以令人信服了。经营该驻留项目的家族就住在园区内，但这里连最基本的基础设施（安全的饮用水、足够的隔热措施……）都缺乏。无虫害的住宿环境显然并未被列入优先考虑事项。
最令人痛苦的是，我此前曾因脚踝骨折而推迟过一次参加 residency的机会——当时他们拒绝退款，只允许我在一年内重新安排时间。为了能参加这次活动，我重新规划了整个生活：我拒绝了有报酬的自由职业工作，把公寓租了出去，在里斯本购置了美术用品，还租了一辆车前往那里。我期盼这个机会已经一年了。然而，实际情况却让我根本无法留下来。
这个地方有着巨大的潜力，但在设施方面得不到大量投资之前（或者夏季不再接收艺术家之前），我实在无法向任何人推荐这个驻留项目。
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