Art in the Anthropocene: Comics and Cinema

In recent years, the idea that we are living in the Anthropocene—the geological epoch in which human actions have profound ecological and climatic impacts on a planetary scale—has become widespread.
The Anthropocene is the era of climate change, biodiversity loss, and various other environmental issues that disrupt the lives of multiple species on the planet, including humanity.
Given its current and potential severity, addressing the environmental challenges of the Anthropocene requires contributions from multiple fields, both academic and beyond. In this context, the arts have played a crucial role in helping us understand the Anthropocene, navigate it, and resist its impacts.
Following previous initiatives by the Societies and Environmental Sustainability Research Group at the Centre for Functional Ecology – Science for People & the Planet, and its extension at Universidade Aberta de Portugal, such as Cinema Natureza and the extension of CineEco, this conference brings together experts in two visual arts—João Miguel Lameiras and Mário Jorge Branquinho. Together, we will explore the current landscape of reflections on the Anthropocene in comic books and cinema, as well as the contributions these mediums can offer in addressing contemporary environmental challenges.

Speakers:

JOÃO MIGUEL LAMEIRA
Born in Coimbra in 1966, he holds an M.Sc. in Art History from the University of Coimbra and is a specialist in Comics and Illustration, with works published in newspapers, magazines, books, and catalogs. He taught at the Escola Superior Artística de Guimarães (Bachelor's in Comics and Illustration and Master's in Illustration) and at the Polytechnic Institute of Cávado and Ave (Master's in Illustration and Animation). In addition to curating several exhibitions for national and international Comics Festivals, he is a translator, screenwriter, preface writer, and comic book editor. He is one of the partners of Dr. Kartoon, a bookstore specializing in Comics, a founding member of the Editorial Cooperative A Seita, and a producer and programmer of Coimbra BD. The adaptations of the book Amor de Perdição by Camilo Castelo Branco, done with Miguel Jorge, Imagens de uma Revolução with João Paiva Boléo and João Ramalho-Santos, and Conversas de Banda Desenhada with Carina Correia, are his latest published books.

MÁRIO JORGE BRANQUINHO
He has a degree in Social Sciences, and he holds an M.Sc. in Artistic Animation. Founder and former director of CineEco - International Environmental Film Festival of Serra da Estrela (1995-2022). Honorary member of the Green Film Network (GFN), an international network of environmental film festivals. He held positions at the Seia City Hall, where he was a programmer at the Casa Municipal da Cultura and directed the Seia Jazz & Blues Festival. Since December 2022, he has been the General Director and Programmer of the Cultural and Congress Center of Caldas da Rainha.