Bridging Art and Science: INL’s Role in Braga 2025 – Portuguese Capital of Culture
May 30, 2025
In 2025, Braga holds the prestigious title of Portuguese Capital of Culture, with a diverse array of initiatives that highlight the city’s rich cultural heritage and the vast spectrum of artistic expressions it nurtures. This year, INL has actively contributed to the celebration by fostering a connection between the worlds of art and science, emerging as a key partner in promoting the accessibility of science to the wider community.
To solidify this partnership, INL joined forces with Faz Cultura – Empresa Municipal de Cultura de Braga, culminating in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at enhancing the Braga 25 artistic programme. This collaboration represents a significant step towards deepening the city’s cultural landscape and creating lasting synergies between artistic and scientific domains.
Beyond the institutional partnership, INL is also engaged in two artistic projects: Counter-Kiosk and The Shape of Neighbourhood, both curated by the Space Transcribers collective. These projects offer a platform for collaborative artistic residencies, where selected artists will work closely with INL researchers to create a dialogue that fuses the creative processes of both scientists and artists. The core aim is to build bridges of innovation, creativity, and cultural exchange, benefitting not only the artists and researchers but the wider community as well.
In March 2025, visual artist and researcher Miguel Teodoro took part in an artistic residency at INL as part of the Counter-Kiosk project. Drawing inspiration from the genealogy of maize seeds and their significance in Braga’s local history, Teodoro collaborated with researchers Carlos Rosário, Angélica Thomere, Jennifer Teixeira, and Enzo Ribeiro, from the Sadewasser and Salomé research groups. This exchange of ideas, combined with exposure to cutting-edge research tools and methodologies, played a crucial role in the development of Teodoro’s artistic vision. The culmination of this residency is the exhibition Matérias Híbridas (Hybrid Materials), which is currently on display at the Kioskat Lugar do Bairro Novo, Gualtar, until the 29th of June.
Embodied through the projects and exhibitions of Braga 25, the collaboration between INL and Faz Cultura represents a bold vision for the future of cultural expression. By fostering innovative partnerships, INL is helping to break down the barriers between scientific research and artistic creativity, creating a dynamic space for mutual learning and discovery.
Photography by Joana Ramalho and Francisco Ascensão
