Gabriela Gomes

Gabriela Gomes is a visual artist, designer and researcher. She holds a degree in Fine Arts – Sculpture from FBAUP and a postgraduate degree in Industrial Design from ESAD. Over the course of three decades, her practice has developed at the intersection of art, design, and social and ecological engagement. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Artistic Creation at the University of Aveiro, where her research focuses on participatory and transdisciplinary artistic practices with environmental concerns.

Her work has been presented in Portugal and internationally, with projects in cities such as New York, Tokyo, Berlin and Frankfurt. She was Artistic Director of the projects “Por um Galho” (2021–2023) and “Mãos ao Barro” (2024), and has developed projects within the framework of Guimarães 2012 – European Capital of Culture and INSERRALVES. In 2018, she was awarded the Gold Medal of Merit by the Municipality of Penafiel. Her work has been published by publishers including Taschen, Gestalten and the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.

Doctoral project

Title
TEIAS: Transdisciplinary Artistic Participation Strategies

Advisor
Jorge Salgado Correia (UA/ INET-md) | Advisor

Ligia Lopes (FBAUP) | Co-advisor

Abstract

At a time when the arts are increasingly called upon to play a renewed role as active agents of social transformation, the TEIAS project proposes an in-depth investigation into collaborative methodologies within contemporary artistic practice. Through a critical and experimental approach, the project seeks to develop co-creation processes with vulnerable groups, bringing together sculpture, performance, and video performance within a transdisciplinary and ecologically oriented framework.

Despite the growing recognition of socially engaged artistic practices, significant gaps remain in the integration of sculpture into collaborative and participatory contexts, as well as in the application of sustainability and ecological principles to public art projects. The scarcity of transdisciplinary methodologies capable of fostering horizontal participation and enhancing the transformative potential of artistic practice further highlights the relevance of this research.

TEIAS therefore proposes a model of shared artistic creation that considers individual experience as artistic material and seeks to challenge hierarchical distinctions between artists and participants. Through horizontal and inclusive methodologies, the project aims to strengthen the role of art as an agent in the construction of identity, belonging, and sociocultural transformation.

Priority will be given to the use of sustainable materials and techniques, promoting practices that respect ecological principles.

The expected outcomes include the production of three sculptural installations with performative activation, one video performance, one process documentary, and one bilingual publication. These outcomes aim to contribute to the consolidation of participatory art as a legitimate field of knowledge production, broadening contemporary debates on collaborative practices and promoting a critical integration of art, nature, and society.

Keywords
Participatory art; Transdisciplinarity; Sculpture; Performance; Video performance; Collaborative practices; Sustainability; Co-creation.