E_MPTY SPACES, HEAVY HEARTS

Alexandre Ferreira Picanço

The significance of art during his formative years was profoundly shaped by his mother's involvement with the Carlos Machado Museum in Ponta Delgada, Azores. He also possesses a strong artistic background, having pursued studies at the Antero de Quental School on the island of S. Miguel, Azores. There, he delved into various techniques within the artistic realm, honing his critical eye and gaining a profound understanding of the semantics of art.
His academic journey culminated with the completion of a degree in Architecture Sciences and Techniques at ISCTE - Instituto Universitário de Lisboa, Portugal. Over the years, he engaged in numerous courses and collaborations with architectural studios and regional architects, which facilitated the enhancement of his technical skills through several professional partnerships.
In his architectural approach, he champions a straightforward, pragmatic, and sustainable ethos, underlining the utilization of indigenous materials and local labor. Simultaneously, he integrates an artistic dimension that harmonizes the various involved disciplines.
While sporadically sketching, the onset of the pandemic crisis underscored his inclination to express himself as a contemporary artist employing technology that focuses on future generations. This compelled him to persistently seek knowledge and self-improvement, prompting a profound introspection of his professional and personal life. It revealed a vital void within his character – the need to manifest his thoughts and exercise his free will.
Art bears a direct connection to mental well-being and personal interpretation, consistently serving as a medium for humanity to communicate through innovative technologies and available forms of human expression. The creative and artistic process offers the pleasures of social engagement and provides a means of alleviating the stresses of modern existence. Consequently, it stands as a conducive practice for fostering a positive psychological environment and stimulating critical thinking.
Art is directly linked to mental health and personal interpretation, and it has always served as a means for humanity to express itself through new technologies and available forms of human expression. The creative and artistic process can provide pleasure, social engagement, and a means of relieving the tensions of modern life, making it a favorable practice for building a positive psychological environment and promoting critical thinking.

Prizes
- 2023 Quarter-Finalist Award in the Best Super short film category at the SWIFF.
- 2022 Winner in the urban furniture category, under the “Project Rebuild 17, EEA Grants Portugal”, with the project "Aviam Scamnum", with an aesthetic, functional and differentiating design, manufactured through 3d printing.
- 2022 Honourable Mention in the surfaces and coatings category, under the “Project Rebuild 17, EEA Grants Portugal”, with the "nine" collection designed created through 3d rendering software.
- Certificate of Artistic Merit, as part of the “Luxembourg Art Prize - 2022”, with the work "Azorean Inspiration", a digital painting on canvas created using digital tools.