Role
Researcher
Email
ligia.afonso@ipleiria.pt
Ph.D. in Art History (FCSH-UNL, FCT scholarship), Master in Museology and Heritage (FCSH, FCT scholarship), researcher at the IHA (FCSH-NOVA) and at LIDA (ESAD.CR/IPL), lecturer at ESAD.cr. and at FCSH-UNL. In May 2022, she was appointed Scientific Coordinator of the UNESCO Chair in Arts and Culture Management, Cities and Creativity – IPL, having produced the report for its renewal until 2026. She is an art historian, curator and editor, member of AICA. She is interested in practice and research in the areas of exhibition history; historical narratives and counter-narratives; large-scale artistic phenomena, notably contemporary art biennales and European capitals of culture; cultural policies; mediation, programming, production and management of cultural projects; editorial and experimental curatorship. Her Ph.D. thesis – “GOING OUT – The SNI and the São Paulo Biennial in the genesis of the contemporary internationalization of the Portuguese art (1951-1973)” – was dedicated to the cultural policies of the Estado Novo period in the post-war international context, having received the Honourable Mention for best Ph.D. thesis of the APHA/Millennium José-Augusto França Prize 2019. She has published texts and articles and presented papers in scientific and institutional contexts and has been part of juries for awards and the selection of artistic and curatorial projects. She has collaborated with several independent institutions and projects in Portugal (namely the National Arts Plan, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Culturgest, Museu de Arte Contemporânea de Serralves, Museu do Chiado – Museu de Arte Contemporânea, Museu do Neo-Realismo, Museu Nacional Soares dos Reis, Museu de Arte Contemporânea de Elvas, EGEAC, Centro Cultural de Belém, Instituto Camões, Fundação Carmona e Costa, A Oficina, CAPC), Brazil (namely Fundação Bienal de São Paulo, Instituto Tomie Othake, Fundação Armando Álvares Penteado, Laboratório de Arte Contemporânea do Centro Cultural Banco do Nordeste, ICCo – Instituto de Cultura Contemporânea/Biennial Foundation) and EUA (namely Apexart, The Brooklyn Rail, Hirshhorn Museum). She was assistant curator of the 29th Bienal de São Paulo, co-curator and editorial coordinator of the Laboratório de Curadoria da Guimarães 2012 Capital Europeia da Cultura, adjunct curator of Anozero19 – Bienal de Arte Contemporânea de Coimbra, member of the team of the Leiria/Rede Cultura 2027 application to become European Capital of Culture. In 2023, she integrates the jury commissions of the Amadeo de Souza Cardoso 2023 award and of the support for Artistic Creation of the Direcção Geral das Artes. She prepares the first exhibition of the BAC – Banco de Arte Contemporânea at the Atelier-Museu Júlio Pomar/EGEAC.
Photo credits: Pedro Loureiro
2024
Sobre a natureza e as causas da autonomia dos artistas: A economia do artista visual e o modo como a sua realidade financeira determina a sua atuação e produção
2024
Culture and Arts Education Expanding Cooperation | White Paper