• Porto Design Biennale

    Being Water

journal

 
09 / 10 / 2023
Between October 19th and December 3rd, the Porto Design Biennale presents a detailed program for an edition that starts from the most fundamental element, Water, to discuss and contemplate the role of Design in emerging environmental survival. 
Curated by Fernando Brízio, the Main Program of this edition features a set of exhibitions, installations, and conversations aimed at creating a transdisciplinary platform to think about the various dimensions and experiences surrounding water resources. The program brings national and international voices together in a dialogue that seeks to shape more sustainable, equitable, accessible, and happy futures.
As in previous editions, the Porto Design Biennale incorporates the perspective of other territories and countries into its programming. This year, Galicia (Spain) is the highlighted territory. According to curator David Barro, responsible for the program of the guest country for this edition of the Porto Design Biennale, the future should be considered concerning water and the ocean. These reflect what is happening in the world, especially considering the Atlantic position of Galicia and Portugal. Hence, the relationship between water and the sea takes centre stage as this program's starting and ending point.

CURATORS’ BIOGRAPHIES
FERNANDO BRÍZIO / PRINCIPAL CURATOR
Fernando Brízio was born in Angola, and studied Design in Lisbon, where he currently lives and works. He has developed products for the industry sector, limited series, exhibitions, scenarios and spaces for companies and organisations like Droog Design, Amorim Cork, Experimenta Design, Nike, Adidas, Authentics, Fábrica Bordallo Pinheiro, Il Coccio, Arena Ensemble, O Som e a Fúria, Museu de Serralves, Cristina Guerra Contemporary Art, Galerie Kreo, etc. His work has been exhibited and published internationally, and is sometimes developed independently, blurring disciplinary boundaries. Brízio has taught at ESAD.CR since 1999, where he planned and coordinated several courses in the domains of product and space design. He was a professor at the Faculty of Fine Arts Lisbon-UL and a visiting professor at several institutions, like ECAL — École Cantonale d’Art in Lausanne, HFG — Karlsruhe University of Art Design and FCSH of the New Univer- sity of Lisbon. He has participated in juries and lectures in Portugal and abroad. He has curated several projects and exhibitions, including SCool Ibérica and Paradisaea Lux Frágil 20 anos. His works are part of the permanent collection of MUDE — Museu DO Design e da Moda de Lisboa, and IMA — Museu de Arte de Indianapolis, among other collections. Currently, and in addition to his ongoing projects, Fernando Brízio is a researcher at Lida — Laboratory in Design and Arts of the Polytechnic of Leiria and at the College of Arts of the University of Coimbra.

DAVID BARRO / CURATOR OF SPAIN (GALICIA)
David Barro is the Director of Fundación DIDAC and commissioner of art and design exhibitions. He is currently an advisor to the Programa de Diseño para la Innovación y la Sonstennibi- lidad – Diferenza (Agencia Gallega de Innovación, Xunta de Galicia) and was the managing director of the Fundación Luis Seoane, and advisor to the Fundación Barrié – of which he was the main responsible for the collection. Since 2020, he has been working as artistic director of MadBlue Summit, acknowledged as an event of exceptional public interest by the Government of Spain. David Barro has developed a career fundamentally associated with the universe of art and design, cultural innovation and sustainability, with particular focus on the creative context in Portugal. In 2006, he founded DARDO – magazine, dedicated to contemporary art, architecture and design, which received the 2016 National Anuaria Design Award and was selected by the IGDEA (International Graphic Design Awards 2017) for the best design of a periodical publication. At the same time, he founded the publisher and design company of the same name, which was soon chosen as a success story in eco-innovation experiences in the graphic arts sector and has won several design awards. He is part of the Cooperativa Performa since 2020, responsible for co-directing the Plataforma. Festival de Artes Performativas, in Santiago de Compostela.  
  • Porto Design Biennale
Exhibition: Erasing the Line Between Land and Water, courtesy of Ivo Poças Martins  
  • Porto Design Biennale
Tito Mouraz, Untitled (Fluvial series), 2017 
  • Porto Design Biennale
UX 1Neo robot developed by INESC TECs, Centre for Robotics and Autonomous Systems (CRAS) as part of the European UNEXUP project 
  • Porto Design Biennale
Joydeb and Moyna Chitrakar, Art Text from the book Tsunami.Copyright ©Tara Books Pvt Ltd, Chennai, India.
llustrative of the exhibition CATHARSIS
  • Porto Design Biennale
Image of the setting from the film "The Swimmer" (1968) by Frank Perry.
llustrative of the Exhibition Ligações. 
  • Porto Design Biennale
Rain Vases, 2019, Martín Azúa 
  • Porto Design Biennale
Exhibition ‘The Waterschool Classroom_Cabinet of Curiosities', courtesy of Studio Making Bey 
  • Porto Design Biennale
EdenX 1.0. Photo by João Octávio Peixoto 
For more information visit Porto Design Biennale website.
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