24-07-2023
On July 21st, the exhibition "HERIT-AGES. Glass Transitions" was inaugurated, this results of the work of researchers from NOVA FCT who analyzed the history and technology of the glass and plastic industries in Portugal.
Glass, with over 5000 years of existence, and plastic, with a more recent history, are part of our daily lives, and it is difficult to imagine contemporary life without these materials. In Portugal, these two materials are intimately connected: the plastic industry evolved directly from the glass industry, with its workers, and their skills. The exhibition aims to present the results of the exploratory research on the relationships between the glass and plastic industries and reflect on how the presence of these materials in museums can impact the perspective of future generations about our Era. The HERIT-AGES project, 'Ages' of Plastic and Glass for whom? Exploration of new avenues for heritage valorization and preservation for the future, was developed by researchers from CIUHCT, LAQV-REQUIMTE, and VICARTE, and the National Museum of Contemporary Art, with the coordination of Joana Lia Ferreira, professor and researcher at the Department of Conservation and Restoration of NOVA FCT.
"We now have attention and awareness about the materials that surround us and make us think on the sustainability of the planet. For us, who work in heritage preservation, it has become clear that what we decide to collect today as representative of our material culture will shape how our era will be seen in the future," argue Joana Lia Ferreira and Inês Coutinho, professors at the Department of Conservation and Restoration of NOVA FCT.
The exhibition seeks to unveil the contribution of these industries to the country and reflect on the future of these materials in museums.
The exhibition can be visited at the Natural History Museum in Lisbon until October 9th.
For more information about the research work, click here.
