Abstract
The research is based on a selection of project collaborations, between ourselves and different institutions and citizens, mostly immigrants and descendants, in order to improve the social and cultural sustainability of specific urban places and its inhabitants. These initiatives always start with the formation of particular consortiums to implement participatory art and design actions, followed by our relational and co-creative time-specific interventions. The set of collaborative and participatory projects in question were mainly developed around the Lisbon metropolis (Portugal), as well as in Cedar Rapids (Iowa, USA). Also in focus is our new project titled UpStart, which is funded by the Partnerships for Impact—Portugal Social Innovation program, promoted by the Aga Khan Foundation and the University of Évora. In this context, the overall design process is analysed in terms of systems thinking, sociocultural innovation, along with the fact of being a way of verifying and practicing democracy. The interconnection of these aspects is crucial for the development of socially engaged initiatives like the ones in focus. Thus, some important references are introduced for a deeper understanding of this field of knowledge, together with the role of design in society, specifically as a way to strengthen its most important pillars, starting with the idea of oneness and of ‘collective voyage’ that Buckminster Fuller brought to project disciplines, followed by other important authors that inform the research and practice, such as Donella Meadows, Ezio Manzini, Alastair Fuad-Luke, among others.
Presenters
Antonio Gorgel PintoAssistant Professor and Researcher, Design and Multimedia, IADE, Faculty of Design, Technology and Communication, European University, Lisboa, Portugal Paula Reaes Pinto
Assistant Professor and Researcher, Art and Design, CHAIA | School of Arts | University of Évora, Évora, Portugal
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
KEYWORDS
Participation, Social Innovation, Systems Thinking, Democracy
