Transversalities 2018: Photography without frontiers

The University of Coimbra, the University of Salamanca, the City Council of Guarda and the Polytechnic Institute of Guarda established a strategic partnership that enabled the creation of the Center for Iberian Studies (CIS)- Centro de Estudos Ibéricos (CEI), determined on reinforce cultural and scientific axis organized by the cities and corresponding Universities, with the mission to promote initiatives which would transpire both a commitment to the low density territories, particularly the peripheral and border, as an active involvement in territorial cooperation.

Based on these results and the importance that image assumes in contemporary societies, we must distance ourselves from media processes that exclude and leave no visibility for the vast areas of the planet so that, under this procedure, we decided to use photography as an effective way to promote the inclusion of territories. The Photography without frontiers Project is extended to countries from other continents, especially where persist marks from the Iberian presence, aiming to find images that reflect the restructurings that that can be taking place through these areas, capture signals of continuity and change, of archaisms and innovations that cross both the most populous metropolitan areas as the most remote border areas. The journey that is proposed for such diverse local places, in addition to documenting the diversity of Territories, Societies and Cultures, will read and interpret a multitude of natural, economic, social and cultural landscapes that are spread over for so wide geographical areas. The Transversalities Project uses image as a mean to promote regional cooperation, by benefiting the following items:

- to take advantage of the aesthetic, documental and educational value of the image to promote the inclusion of less visible areas by inventorying resources, enhance landscapes, cultures, and heritage;

- to promote cooperation between people, institutions and territory, within and beyond frontiers endorsing the exchange of experiences and knowledge between places unified by the common Iberian range, spread across different countries from different continents;

- to create new audiences and use new communication technologies as a privileged mean to communicate, appealing to young college students and thus widen the international network of researchers that CEI has been sponsoring over the years.