Eremoceno: Becoming More-than-Human – Seminar with four guest speakers on 11 November
The seminar will bring together four speakers to explore different perspectives on architecture, contemporary territorial transformations, curatorial practices and artistic production. Taking place on 11 November 2026, at 2:30 PM, in Auditorium 302, Building 4, Iscte, Lisbon. The seminar is part of the PhD Programme in Architecture of Contemporary Metropolitan Territories and is free and open to the public.
Speakers and programme
Mariana Pestana — A reflection on the reconfiguration of architecture as a discipline in response to the transitions facing contemporary society.
Madalena Vidigal — An exploration of the curatorial approach behind Terra Crua, an exhibition presented at Garagem Sul, Centro Cultural de Belém.
Vasco Araújo — A discussion of the conceptual framework behind Everything Is in Your Mind..., a project exhibited at the Julião Sarmento Pavilion.
Nuno Brandão Costa — A presentation focusing on the territorial, urban and architectural intervention in Campanhã, Porto.
The seminar is organised by Paulo Tormenta Pinto and Soraya Genin, as part of Iscte's PhD Programme in Architecture of Contemporary Metropolitan Territories, aligned with the thematic research areas of DINÂMIA’CET-Iscte.
About the speakers
Mariana Pestana (Viseu, 1982) is an architect, researcher and Assistant Professor at Instituto Superior Técnico. Co-founder of The Decorators studio, her research explores fiction as a tool for critical thinking and imagining alternative futures, designing spaces that foster empathetic relationships beyond the human. She holds a PhD from the Bartlett School of Architecture, curated the 5th Istanbul Design Biennial and served as Chief Curator of the Architecture Centre at Centro Cultural de Belém (CCB).
Madalena Vidigal (Lisbon, 1992) is an architect and researcher whose practice explores heritage, community life and sufficiency through collaborative projects, exhibitions and ecological construction. Her work includes the reactivation of Escola da Vila in Porto Santo, which received an Honourable Mention at the Madeira Architecture Prize (2022), as well as curatorial research on Raul Chorão Ramalho, Rui Goes Ferreira and Suzanne Daveau. In 2026, she curated Terra Crua, presented at MAC/CCB.
Vasco Araújo (Lisbon, 1975) is a visual artist working across sculpture, installation, video, photography and performance. His practice explores identity, interpersonal relationships and social codes, drawing on references from opera, the Baroque, classical mythology and literature. Awarded the EDP New Artists Prize in 2003, he has exhibited nationally and internationally. His works are held in collections including the Centre Pompidou and the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. His project Everything Is in Your Mind... is currently exhibited at the Julião Sarmento Pavilion.
Nuno Brandão Costa (Porto, 1970) is an architect and Associate Professor at the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Porto, where he graduated in 1994 and completed his PhD in 2013. His work spans different scales and programmes, including the Campanhã Intermodal Terminal and the rehabilitation of the São João de Deus neighbourhood in Porto. He has participated in the Venice and São Paulo Architecture Biennales and received the Secil Architecture Prize in 2008. In 2018, he curated the official Portuguese representation at the Venice Architecture Biennale.