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Activity Funded

Recuperando a narrativa delas: O Contributo das Mulheres na Arquitetura Paisagista em Portugal

Reclaiming Their Narrative: The Contributions of Women to Landscape Architecture in Portugal

Reference
2024.13289.PEX
Project Start Date
2026-02-15
Project End Date
2027-08-14
Principal Investigator
Scientific Area
Humanities
Funding Program
Concurso para Projetos de Investigação de caráter Exploratório em Todos os Domínios Científicos 2024

Abstract

Reclaim.HERland investigates the often-overlooked role of women in landscape architecture, focusing on their systemic invisibility within historical records and professional recognition. The lacuna of women's narratives in existing historical accounts hinders a comprehensive and gender-equitable understanding of the discipline. Utilizing ethnographic methods, feminist historiography, interdisciplinary archival research, oral histories, and artistic interpretation, the project aims to recover, reinterpret, and disseminate the narratives of the pioneering women who helped shape Portugal's modernist landscapes. Paradoxically, despite the growing discourse on gender within architecture and landscape architecture, the work of women landscape architects in Portugal remains critically underexplored. This gap in the historiography of Portuguese landscape architecture stems from several factors, including limited access to archives, the undervaluing of women's contributions, and a lack of in-depth research on the topic. Based on preliminary research, this project seeks to recover these forgotten histories, reconstructing the professional trajectories of these women and their roles in public space design, early ecological approaches, and the development of modernist landscapes. The project employs a methodology combining archival research, interviews, and document analysis to create a comprehensive database of materials related to women landscape architects. This is complemented by critical analysis using feminist historiography and discourse analysis to identify systemic biases, reconstruct professional trajectories, and revise historiographical narratives. These analyses complement the foundational archival work. Findings will be disseminated through a digital platform, publications, and public engagement activities. The research integrates qualitative and artistic methods to ensure both academic rigor and public resonance. Archival research will survey institutional and personal archives, and professional collections, including provenance analysis. Concurrently, oral histories, gathered through an ethnographic approach, are essential for accessing the unique experiences and memories of these women and their contemporaries, enriching the information found in written records. This combined approach allows the project to address gaps in written records and reveal new perspectives on gender dynamics within the profession. The project's archival research will utilize feminist historiography and discourse analysis to evaluate the language, structure, and organization of archival materials. Drawing on Elizabeth Meyer's (1997) framework of "recovery" and "critique," the team will identify biases, exclusions, and omissions, reconstructing women's biographies and contributions to public spaces, ecological design, and modernist projects in Portugal. A key hypothesis posits significant contributions by women to Portuguese landscape architecture in the 1960s–1980s, particularly during the democratic transition. Reclaim.HERland unites a multidisciplinary team of experts in landscape architecture, archival science, and visual arts, supported by international consultants specializing in the history of women landscape architects across diverse geographies. This combination of academic rigor and creative methodologies yields innovative research. The project's novelty lies in integrating feminist historical analysis with interdisciplinary and artistic methodologies, expanding the historiographical canon and fostering dialogue among academics, practitioners, and the public. The digital platform, featuring biographies, archival documents, interviews, and multimedia materials, will democratize access to the research. Public outreach activities will engage academic and public audiences, increasing visibility on platforms such as Wikipedia. Expected outcomes include a comprehensive archival and oral history collection, revised historical frameworks published in peer-reviewed journals, conference presentations, and increased public awareness of women's contributions. The project's findings will be featured in a future traveling exhibition, integrating historical documents and visual narratives to achieve lasting impact. By addressing historiographical gaps and fostering dialogue with diverse audiences, the project contributes to the epistemological advancement of landscape architecture, gender studies, and architectural historiography, offering fresh perspectives on the landscapes and the enduring legacy of the women landscape architects who designed them.

Institutions

Main Institutions

  • Universidade Nova de Lisboa (UNL)

Other Institutions

  • Universidade de Lisboa Centro de Investigação e de Estudos em Belas-Artes (ULisboa CIEBA)

Funding 59.988,97 €

Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) - Portugal

59.988,97 €