Portuguese women architects in Wikipedia! Curatorial session #1
Women have been active participants in the diverse professional practices of architecture throughout the ages. But this participation is revealed neither in the historical production nor in the real and symbolic image of the profession. Several mechanisms have contributed to their invisibility and marginalization. Retrieving stories and making biographies visible is a matter of historical justice. If, on the one hand, one of the areas of action of the Women in Architecture association is the promotion of equity and representativeness - of gender and others - in the professions linked to space production, on the other hand, the research project W@ARCH.PT has researched and studied the histories and contributions of women linked to architecture and women architects in Portugal, between 1942 and 1986. The common objective is the dissemination of biographies of these women as a way to expand both the history of architecture in Portugal and the diversity of professional practices in this area. A quick search demonstrates the general lack of Portuguese architects of the Wikipedia. Aware of the importance of existing in this global virtual encyclopedia, often the first source of information, we promoted the collective creation of entries about them, which were and are part of these disciplinary areas.
It was with immense taste and sense of responsibility that we inaugurated the Wiki Editoras Lx group's curatorial sessions (bi-monthly collaboration). The theme was "Women Architects in Portugal". The curatorship was in charge of the architects Ana Bragança, Lia Antunes and Patrícia Santos Pedrosa, associated with the research project W@ARCH.PT: Women Architects in Portugal: building visibility, 1942-1986 (CIEG - ISCSP-ULisbon) and the MA - Mulheres na Arquitectura association (Women in Architecture association).
This moment of collaboration resulted in the creation of Wikipedia entries of the women architects Maria José Estanco, Olga Quintanilha, Ana Tostões and Inês Lobo and the landscape architect Teresa Andresen.
It was an exciting event, with many new participations and collective creations.
Article about the designer Maria Helena Matos (1924-2015)
Trained in sculpture, the designer Maria Helena Matos (1924-2015), "between 1960 and 1974 marks the process of affirming, consolidating and disseminating of the design in Portugal. Through her work at the National Institute for Industrial Research (INII), she developed and led the Center for Art and Industrial Architecture, called Design Center Industrial since 1971." (SOUTO, 2020).
Maria Helena Souto, researcher of the project team W@ARCH.PT, wrote an entry about Maria Helena Matos in the website of MUDE - Museu do Design e da Moda.
Interview with the architect Ana Tostões
On June 5, 2020, we started the process of deconfinishing of the W@ARCH.PT project and returned to the interviews, with all safety precautions. We interviewed the architect and teacher Ana Tostões in her office at ISTécnico and talked about her academic and professional career.
For us it was wonderful to return to fieldwork! We thank architect Ana for her generosity and availability. We hope to meet soon!
Online cycle of conversations | Session 1. Histories of Women in Arts, Design and Architecture
The pandemic situation forced us to rethink and reschedule events. We created a cycle of virtual conversations in order to reflect on the History of Women. The lack of physical presence was mitigated by the possibility of inviting researchers from other geographic locations.
The first session, dedicated to "Histories of Mulheres in Arts, Design and Architecture" and moderated by Patrícia Santos Pedrosa, was broadcast live on the Facebook of the project and very attended by the public.
Thank you so much, Emília Ferreira, Lia Gil Antunes, Maria Helena Souto, Paula Monteiro and Silvana Rubino (São Paulo, Brazil)!