The U. Porto Museum Patio: a space fit for cultural life and contemplation

From 20 to 25 July, the Noites no Pátio do Museu [“Evenings at the Museum’s Patio”, free translation], invite for timeless cultural activities such as poetry, documentary film, theatre and so much more that participants can unveil at the Patio of the Central Pole of the Natural History Museum of the University of Porto, in the Rectory (MHNC-UP). Participation is free, upon prior seat reservation.

On 20 July, at 9 pm the activities programme kick off with the screening of a documentary on the work by Volker Schnüttgen. The German artist completes 60 years this year and 35 years of an artistic path that is marked by the Galleries of the Casa Comum, which put on display, early this year, the exhibition “Da Pedra: Experiências Técnico-Poéticas de um Escultor”.

The artist has been residing in Portugal for over 30 years now. He once fell in love by the stone quarry Lioz in Portugal, and here he remained to get to know other quarries.

Following the documentary, Schnüttgen will address his work and life in a Talk with the curator of the exhibition, Helena Mendes Pereira and the film directors Bárbara Forte and Manuel Costa.

On 21 July, time to take a peek at the Herbarium of the U.Porto and get to know some of its secrets, secrets that only plants can share. In fact, did you know that there is a patrimony of 22.000 specimen of bryophyte plants (mosses, liverworts and hornworts) to discover, which have been harvested since 1837 by over 60 different collectors? Helena Hespanhol, collaborator of the MHNC-UP and researcher of the CIBIO-InBIO will let you in more information.

On the evening of 22 July, it is time to go back to poetry. Emanuel Madalena will set the tone for a poetic immersion of 59 minutes, in an initiative programmed and organised by Porto Editora. The poet will share sayings and mysteries. Just pick a pillow, seat back and go for the ride. The session concludes with a Talk between the poet and the vice-Rector for Culture of the U.Porto, Fátima Vieira.

Saturday evening, 24 July, features the screening of the documentary film “História de Cabo Verde com pessoas”, [“History of Cabo Verde with people”, free translation], where the cast includes beads in the hair, truly exotic colors, tribal music and glances that mirror the plains in the documentary. The study of one of the most mixed human populations in the planet – the archipelago of Cabo Verde- explains which genetic factors are responsible for the skin and eye pigmentation. Some data also enables the tracing back of the history of colonization of that group of islands.

“Um casamento no Atlântico” [“A marriage in the Atlantic”, free translation] is also a documentary on the work by Jorge Rocha, researcher at the CIBIO-InBIO and professor off the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto (FCUP).

Sunday is theatre day. Accept the invitation by TUP – Porto University Theatre - to experience meaningful moments. Know that the play’s title is “Gineceu”, aka “Gynoecium”, a word most commonly used as a collective term for the parts of a flower that produce ovules and ultimately develop into the fruit and seeds, a metaphor for the female reproductive organs. The play is signed by Gui.

The initiative “Noites no Pátio do Museu”, started on 6 Julyand will extend until August with another 20 sessions of poetry, performance, music, cinema, debate, among other activities.

Sessions take place from Tuesday to Friday and on weekends, always starting at 9 pm. Entrance is free, but previous application at the Eventbrite portal is mandatory.

See here the full programme.