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Dear readers,
In this final newsletter of the project, we share with you the materials produced for and during the Final Seminar
of the research dedicated to Almada Negreiros mural painting. But don’t think it all ends here - the door that
has opened still holds much to be explored.
It has been a pleasure to have you with us over these past four years.
See you soon,
The team of Project ALMADA
Image: A snapshot from the lunch offered to the participants of the Final Seminar, in the ALMADA hall at the Rocha do Conde de Óbidos Maritime Station. Milene Gil2025.
To remember
FINAL SEMINAR OF PROJECT ALMADA
Program
Video of the Final Seminar
Book of abstracts
Image gallery
We revisit here, through video, images, and text, the Final Seminar of the ALMADA project,
held on 14 March at the Rocha do Conde de Óbidos Maritime Station in Lisbon. It was a day of celebration,
which began with an opening session featuring Carlos Alberto do Maio Correia, Chairman of the Board
of the Port of Lisbon Authority (APL), and Sara Velasco, representing the National Arts Plan (PNA).
Alongside Milene Gil, Principal Investigator of the ALMADA Project, they welcomed participants,
provided context for the event,
and emphasised the significance of the partnership established to enhance the value of Almada Negreiros mural work.
The nine lectures that followed explored various aspects
developed across the project’s four main areas of action:
Archival Research, Art History and Technical Art History, Technical Study, Material Study, and Outreach and Public Engagement.
These areas were designed to pursue three key objectives:
- The production of new knowledge to understand the genesis and evolution of Almada Negreiros as a muralist — his influences, transformations, and impact over time — using state-of-the-art imaging and analytical technology for cultural heritage studies, both on-site and in the laboratory.
- The safeguarding of the murals carried through condition surveys, as well as the identification and mapping of deterioration phenomena and risk factors affecting paint layers and renders. These actions provide essential guidance for the definition of intervention and maintenance strategies, in line with best practices in conservation and restoration.
- The appreciation and dissemination of this heritage through open science communication strategies aimed at promoting knowledge, public engagement, and societal awareness.
The four-and-a-half-hour presentations felt too short for the wealth of results shared with an engaged and diverse audience that filled the auditorium.
Participants also had the opportunity to interact with the research team and with Almada Negreiros’s descendants
during the lunch offered in the ALMADA hall of the Rocha do Conde de Óbidos Maritime Station.
The final surprise of the day was the distribution of the printed edition Revealing the Art of Almada Negreiros’s Mural Painting (1938–1956): Images of a Transdisciplinary Project,
a visual narrative of the research journey undertaken on site, on scaffolding, and in the laboratory — a visual testimony
to an academic project that studied and promoted Almada Negreiros’s mural painting at both national and international levels.
For those who were unable to attend, the online version of the publication is available
[here].
List of extended abstracts
Available at Book of abstracts
R1. Putting the Pieces together: Documentary survey of Almada Negreiro’s artistic commissions and restoration processes- Highlights and Discoveries
Inês Cardoso, Cláudia Pereira, Geórgia Casara, Simão Palmeirim, Milene Gil
R2. Almada’s 1945 mural paintings and the Second World War.
Mariana Pinto dos Santos
R3. Preparatory studies for the maritime stations' mural paintings. Notes on the creative process.
Simão Palmeirim
R4. A glimpse into Almada’s modus operandi as a mural painter: Technical and material details.
Milene Gil, Inês Cardoso, Simão Palmeirim, Mafalda Costa, Yigit Helvaci, José Mirão
R5. Brought to Light: Les Pigments en poudre pour la fresque by LEFRANC-Paris found in Almada Studio.
Mafalda Costa, Ana Cardoso, Milene Gil
R6. As deceiving as the name: Decoding emerald green use in Almada’s murals.
António Candeias, Luís Dias, José C. Frade, Mafalda Costa, Sara Valadas, Peter
VandenaBeele, Milene Gil
R7. Getting the bigger picture: Diagnosing, mapping and analysing the decay features in Almada’s mural paintings for future conservation guidelines.
Sara Valadas, Luís Dias, Inês Cardoso, Mafalda Costa, Ana Cardoso, J. Carlos Frade,Milene Gil
R8. The Quest for the organic materials used by Almada Negreiros: A case study of Rocha do Conde de Óbidos
Ana Manhita, Cristina Dias, José Carlos Frade, Milene Gil
R9. Almada is for Everyone, Anywhere! The open science strategy and citizens raising awareness of project ALMADA.
Milene Gil, José Saias, José Duarte, Manuel Ribeiro, Catarina Pinheiro, Carlo Bottaini, Leonel Corado, António Candeias
Image: Team members and collaborators of the ALMADA Project posing with the outreach materials for the Final Seminar.
Dora Boieiro, 2025 © ALMADA Project
Take a peek
Discover Almada’s painting… in a different way!
We set out to explore new ways of presenting Almada Negreiros’ mural paintings — and, with that in mind, we developed four interactive tools.
These are self-contained experiences, specially designed with younger audiences in mind. Each tool offers a different approach:
some more immersive, others more playful - all aiming to showcase the potential of discovering Almada’s art in a different, engaging, and intuitive way.
Explore, click, listen... and prepare to be surprised!
Tool 1 – 3D Models of the paintings at the Alcântara Maritime Station with a story to tell -
East and
west walls
Here you can view the paintings of the Alcântara Maritime Station in 3D, enriched with historical and art-historical content.
The idea is simple: explore the space, click on the marked points, and discover curiosities and historical facts about the artworks.
Both models include sound to make the experience more immersive.
⚠️ Heads-up: the models may take a while to load — we recommend using a computer rather than a phone.
Tool 2 – Planisphere for the younger ones
A tool designed to spark children’s curiosity (and not just theirs!) based on the Planisphere painting. It’s a small taste of what can be done in a playful and educational way — the aim is to interact with the composition while learning.
Try it out with your kids!
🗣️ It has audio — and it’s essential to guide you
🗣️ In Portuguese
Tool 3 – Is everything on the same plane?
This was a fun experiment to show that a 2D painting can still have depth!
We often ask children: “Do you think everything’s on the same plane?” — then we slightly rotate the image… and the surprise is guaranteed.
It’s a simple trick that works wonders and always leaves the little ones wide-eyed and eager to learn more about the paintings.
Tool 4 – Seeing beyond the visible: Almada in different wavelengths
What if we could see beyond what the eye perceives?
This tool invites you to observe Almada’s work through different wavelengths — visible, infrared, and ultraviolet — revealing textures, technical details, painting materials, and the artworks’ conservation state.
It’s an almost scientific journey — but one that’s accessible and full of unexpected discoveries.
Perfect for those who love to look closely… and go deeper.
To read
Publications 2025
(Org.) Milene Gil. O Desvendar da Arte da Pintura Mural de Almada Negreiros (1938-1956). Imagens de um projeto transdisciplinar. Milene Gil e António Candeias. (eds).
Laboratório Hercules, Universidade de Évora, 2025 [online version]
Luis Dias, Milene Gil, Inês Silva, António Candeias & Ana Teresa Caldeira,
'Assessment of Microbial Communities affecting Almada Negreiro’s Mural Paintings at Maritime Station in Lisbon',
npj Heritage Sciene 13, 67 (2025), 1-12
Simão Palmeirim, Milene Gil,
'Tracing the Artistic Journey: From Almada Negreiro’s Preliminay Studies to the 1949 Murals painted at the Rocha do Conde de Óbidos Maritime Station,
Lisbon (Portugal)', International Jourrnal of Conservation Science, Volume 16, Issue I, 2025:21-42. DOI:36868/IJCS.2025.01.02
News published on the website
Project PTDC/ART-HIS/1370/2020 financed by national funds through FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology, I.P.
The images shared in the ALMADA project newsletters are protected by copyright and may not be copied in whole or in part outside the scope of the ALMADA project without the prior authorisation of the authors and descendants of Almada Negreiros.
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