III Colonial and Post-Colonial Landscapes Congress
- dinamia6
- 2 days ago
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The 3rd edition of the International Congress Colonial and Post-Colonial Landscapes will take place at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon, from 11 to 13 February 2026. Following the questioning of Architecture, Cities and Infrastructures (2019) and Architecture, Colonialism and War (2023) in previous editions, this edition will focus on Architecture, Cities, and Labour.
The programme includes the Opening Conference with Senegalese architect Nzinga Biegueng Mboup (free admission), Keynote Lectures by Professors Alexander Keese (Université de Genève) and Cecilia L. Chu (Chinese University of Hong Kong), a film screening curated by Alexandra Areia in partnership with Cinemateca Portuguesa, the launch of the book Layering the City (LBA Macau, 2025), and 18 parallel sessions featuring around 100 international speakers.
The influence of large-scale labour on the production of the landscape — including the design, construction, and maintenance of infrastructures and buildings — has not been fully explored in the context of colonial architecture. This topic has significant implications for describing past societies and, more importantly, for studying and understanding current communities with colonial pasts and their relationship to the production of space.
In these contexts, the relationship between architecture and labour offers a promising approach to addressing some of the challenges faced by post-colonial societies, providing diverse perspectives on the issue. These include the relationship with 'Western' building technologies and materials; the scarcity of traditional construction systems; the undervaluation of these systems with regard to climate adaptation and sustainable solutions; and persistent racial and gender inequalities in work environments, particularly in public works labour.
The congress welcomes contributions from diverse geographical, disciplinary, and chronological backgrounds to promote a broad and stimulating debate, intersecting the history of colonial architecture, social and labour history, and construction technology.
Registration for non-presenting participants is now open here.
General attendees, lunches and coffee breaks included: 75€*
General attendees, without lunches and coffee breaks: 40€
This event is part of the research project “ArchLabour: Architecture, Colonialism and Labour. The role and legacy of mass labour in the design, planning and construction of Public Works in former African territories under Portuguese colonial rule” (ERC grant 1101096606), coordinated by Ana Vaz Milheiro and hosted at DINÂMIA’CET-Iscte.