António Garcia - Design e Arquitectura nas décadas de 50-70 do século XX : depois da obra o futuro

Tese de mestrado em Museologia e Museografia, apresentada á Universidade de Lisboa através da Faculdade de Belas Artes, 2007“Zeitgeist - The spirit of the time: António Garcia, Design and Architecture in the decades of 50-70 from the XX century. After the work, the future”. The purpose of this study is to produce a monograph and anthology of António Garcia (b. 1925) and his work, which is virtually unknown, partly because it is not clearly identified, and partly because few studies have been conducted on the genealogy of Portuguese design. His work has been mentioned from time to time in various Portuguese and international design publications ever since the 1960s, but it has never before been extensively analysed as a whole, in depth and separately. This dissertation seeks to research, gather, establish a preliminary inventory, classify, study and make public the results of António Garcia’s long, diverse 60-year career in design, from a chronological, theoretical and iconographic viewpoint. As a consequence of and complementary to this dissertation we feel that a public retrospective exhibition of this designer’s work is essential in order to bring him to a wider audience. We have therefore included a proposal to stage an exhibition and publish a catalogue. Another aim has been to preserve this heritage by conserving items and documents linked to Garcia and his work. This involved finding a way of ensuring the future preservation of the items that have been brought together by creating a collection, museum and/or archive. The intention has been to organize his body of work and examine how his approach has encompassed many areas of design (graphics, furniture, interiors, decoration, exhibitions and packaging) and architecture. The purpose has also been to present it as a whole, offering a life-long view, both in terms of description and comprehension, in an attempt to organize individual, group and collective recollection of this contemporary designer