INSTITUTO is a focal point for different forms of cultural expression, located in the heart of Porto. The team’s interests and backgrounds have given rise to a programme that diverges from the field of architecture to encompass the visual and spatial arts, critical thinking and multidisciplinary collaborations. We seek to encourage the creation and exploration of new contemporary discourses through interdisciplinarity, the informality of the space and the will to tackle burning issues in today’s society.
INSTITUTO is the result of a project to breathe new life into an old warehouse, which, like much of Porto’s built heritage, had lain abandoned for several decades. In 2018, the building was restored by Paulo Moreira architectures, which opened a studio in the building and created INSTITUTO as an interdisciplinary extension of their practice. INSTITUTO is currently managed by Tamanho Azul - Associação, which formalises the involvement of the team responsible for founding and consolidating the project.
Since it opened in December 2018, INSTITUTO has organised several different types of activities - talks, exhibitions, workshops and publications. It has hosted events, training sessions and series focusing on individuals and collectives from a variety of disciplines, both nationally and internationally. The venue’s location on Rua dos Clérigos, close to some of the city’s main landmarks, with a downtown buzz and public transport links covering the whole city, has led to increasing activity and public attendance.
The scope of the programme at INSTITUTO has been acknowledged by institutions with which we have developed collaborative projects, such as: Ágora - Cultura e Desporto, Empresa Municipal do Porto (Porto City Council); Bolsa de Ideias - Associação Comercial do Porto (Porto Commercial Association); ARQ OUT - Mês da Arquitetura, Ordem dos Arquitectos - Secção Regional do Norte (Portuguese Architects’ Association); Porto Design Biennale.
Team:
Artistic director: Paulo Moreira
Studio & Project manager: Sara Pinheiro
Production & Technical support: Nuno Silva
Photographer: Ivo Tavares
Download pdf brochure here (PDF 18mb).