Dates / Schedules
Monday, october 19 2026 6:30pm
Tuesday, november 24 2026 6:30pm
Tuesday, january 19 2027 6:30pm
Free admission, subject to venue capacity.
Conference
Talk
Based on a belief in humanity’s ability to find answers to the existential challenges facing life on Earth, this series opens up a discussion about our common future.
Brutalist currents fuel nationalism, weaken critical thinking, endanger democracy and make environmental and nuclear apocalypse an increasingly conceivable possibility. At the same time, citizens are becoming more aware of our common humanity and increasingly willing to participate in public life. The series seeks to give these voices a platform through the format of citizen debate.
Each session will open with Álvaro Vasconcelos, who will use short films or film excerpts to place the theme of each debate within the broader imaginary of apocalyptic cinema. A moderator will then put questions to the invited experts and encourage audience participation. Each debate will take shape through the questions, concerns and perspectives of those taking part.
The Centro Cultural de Belém Foundation reserves the right to collect, store and use recordings of image, sound and voice, for the purposes of dissemination and for preserving the memory of its cultural and artistic activities, as well as its spaces. Should you require any further information, please contact us at the following email address: privacidade@ccb.pt
Programme
Session 1 — 19 October 2026
Para além da Banalidade do Mal Colonial: Igualdade, Diversidade e Hospitalidade
The legacies of slavery and colonialism did not disappear with the end of the colonial empires. They persist, fuelling racial discrimination, hostility towards immigrants and challenges to the principle of hospitality, while inspiring narratives that turn the descendants of enslaved and colonised peoples into new enemies. This is an unavoidable issue in public debate. Reaffirming our common humanity is essential to the cohesion of our societies and to the future of democracy. What principles should guide a politics of civilisation in opposition to brutalism? How can we value diversity and promote the principles of equality and hospitality?
Guest Expert Christiane Taubira
Debate moderated by Álvaro Vasconcelos and Kitty Furtado.
Session 2 — 24 November 2026
A Inteligência Artificial no Apocalipse do Pensamento: o debate necessário
The rapid development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is radically transforming work, the way we consume information and the development of science. It also entails serious risks, with some warning of cognitive totalitarianism and manipulation by algorithms, and highlighting their harmful psychological, political and social effects. At the same time, the development of autonomous weapons calls into question the principles and laws governing warfare. How can we ensure that technological development does not endanger critical thinking and human rights? What controls should be imposed on social media and AI companies?
Guest Experts Joana Gonçalves de Sá, Graça Castanheira and Manuela Veloso
Debate moderated by Álvaro Vasconcelos and Gonçalo Marcelo.
Session 3 — 19 January 2027
As Utopias Pós-Apocalípticas podem prevenir as hecatombes anunciadas?
When the atomic bomb destroyed Hiroshima, the end of life on Earth ceased to be unthinkable. Preventing that possibility from becoming a reality mobilised scientists, politicians and activists. Today, as war has returned to Europe, warnings are also multiplying about the risks that global warming poses to life on the planet. The return of brutalism, the crisis of multilateralism and climate denial may help explain the growing prevalence of catastrophic narratives, but also of post-apocalyptic utopias. What explains the popularity of apocalyptic narratives? Can post-apocalyptic utopias help us turn the fear of catastrophe into a capacity for action?
Guest Experts Paulo Magalhães, Teresa de Sousa and Bianca Castro
Debate moderated by Álvaro Vasconcelos and Fátima Vieira.
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Álvaro Vasconcelos is the author of the trilogy Memórias em Tempo de Amnésia, which inspired this series. In the third volume, entitled O Futuro para Além do Apocalipse, the author contrasts post-apocalyptic utopias with catastrophism, expressing hope for a better future for humanity:
«That cry — breaking the silence of nothingness — is the echo of all humanity, which loves and longs to survive the destruction foretold. It is like the tree that emerges once again from the earth after the nuclear apocalypse in Tarkovsky’s The Sacrifice: a sign of life poetically resisting extinction.»
Kitty Furtado
Gonçalo Marcelo
Fátima Vieira
Christiane Taubira
Joana Gonçalves de Sá
Graça Castanheira
Manuela Veloso
Paulo Magalhães
Teresa de Sousa
Bianca Castro