Visual Culture Seminar: Letras de Braga

The Visual Culture Seminar “Letras de Braga: A Tipografia Urbana” will be held on April 18 at 6 p.m.

Braga is not only beautiful esplanades and magnificent churches. From the iconic facade of A Brasileira, the imposing letters on the facade of Theatro Circo and the degraded letters of S. Geraldo to disappearing signs that still cohabit in our memories, these structures are part of the Graphic and Visual Heritage of the city of Braga. They tell the story of our city. They identify and differentiate us!

However, Graphic Heritage is seriously threatened by the gentrification and the uncritical renovation of our cities. More and more, with the appearance of franchises, shopping malls, online shops and the most diverse policies of purported purging of the old buildings, these signs and structures that defined the image – and even the skyline – of our cities and, consecutively, our urban experiences, are being decimated. It is imperative to document Braga’s visual landscape, to preserve as many historical signs as possible and to fight against the trend of homogenising the commercial and urban image that devalues and makes the historic local commerce disappear and, with it, the memory and identity of each street. The personality and urban landscape of the cities are impoverished, and the streets are often gutted, with nothing to recall the forms and use that once gave them life.

After leaving the façade of buildings and shops, these graphic and typographic elements lose their original advertising function but become art objects and gain the status of Graphic Heritage of cities. They must therefore be cherished, preserved, safeguarded, and, in some cases, restored.

This session will consist of a walk through the city of Braga with the following itinerary:

Meeting point: Chafariz da Praça da República

1. Letters from Café Viana and Café Astória

2. Letters from the Café A Brasileira Old and New
(Vadeca, Casa Esperança, JN)

3. Lettering of Frigideiras do Cantinho and a sign of the old Lusitana factory
(João Penha)

4. Neon of the Café Lusitana and a sign of the Médicos building
(Casa das Velas, Mundial Confiança, BNU)

5. Letters from the Café Ferreira Capa and Armazéns Pinheiros
(Sorte à Vista, Casa da Sorte)

Arrival point: Fountain at Praça da República

Nuno Dias: 40 years old, born and living in Braga. Graduated in Multimedia Design at the University of Beira Interior, Covilhã, where he graduated in 2007. Driven by his passion, a little over 8 years ago, he left his full-time job to dedicate himself to independent work as a Graphic Designer and Illustrator and occasionally draw some typefaces. It was in 2008 that he published his first typeface, Origram, a free version, and it wasn’t until 2014 that he published his first commercial typeface. Following this passion, he created the Letras de Braga project in 2016, with the main goal of cataloguing and documenting all types of typography and graphics from the streets of Braga.

Luís Tarroso Gomes: 45 years old bracarense and lawyer for over 20 years. In these two decades, he has directed and participated in several civic movements in a struggle to preserve Braga’s heritage. He was the founder and leader of ProjetoBragaTempo and Velha-a-Branca. Although not his main mission, this Cultural Site has, on numerous occasions, hosted initiatives related to the city’s heritage – from the Braga History Course to the collection and recording of several oral testimonies. In recent years, the Velha-a-Branca has also sought to collect and safeguard spoils from some of the city’s commercial establishments that have been disappearing, making the partnership with the Letras de Braga project evident and urgent.

Requests for pre-registration in the visual pathway should be sent to the email: passeio@ics.uminho.pt

[Posted: 04-04-2023]