We have decided to celebrate the 10th edition of the Urbancreativity.org conference suggesting "numbers" as generic theme for 2023.

Our research sharing and dissemination work blend many amateur, professional and academic perspectives on: Graffiti/ street art/ public art - represented in our journals SAUC Street Art and Urban Creativity and CAP Public Art Journal. Will be a specific conference group of panels dedicated to: Urban user research/ user experience reflecting UXUC User Experience and Urban Creativity journal. Some relations will also occur with drawing /architecture studies populating the AIS Architecture Image Studies and BBDS Black Book Drawing and Sketching (online) journals.

6 to 8 of July 2023
6 morning on Centro de Informação Urbana de Lisboa CIUL auditorium - Picoas
6 afternoon, and all day 7 on Grande Auditório da Faculdade de Belas Artes da Universidade de Lisboa (FBAUL) Fine Arts Faculty (Main auditorium) - Chiado
8 all day on Centro de Inovação da Mouraria CIM - Mouraria


Map with all venues here
https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1sJXwJPcWRNKDAn6wr-cSUNZEbCH7ejw&hl=pt-PT&usp=sharing

VIDEO RECORDINGS - available here

More information 
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Photo report 

Conference and Activities Report
The Urban Creativity 2023 Lisbon conference, in its 10th edition, was a dynamic three-day event that brought together speakers from 18 countries to delve into Urban Creativity, User Experience, Street Art and Graffiti, some times touching the generic theme "numbers". With a diverse lineup of 45 professionals and researchers, the conference offered a comprehensive exploration of various aspects of urban culture, creativity, and art.

Day 1 - July 6 - CIUL Auditorium, Picoas

The conference commenced at the CIUL Auditorium in Picoas with thought-provoking presentations on the intersection of technology and urban experiences. Cristina Moraru from Romania delivered a captivating talk titled "Are We Just Numbers Under The Blue Light Of The Cyber-Sun," exploring how technology's influence on our lives can sometimes lead to a sense of detachment. Inês Soares from Lisbon City Council presented "Lisbon Intelligent Management Platform," shedding light on how advanced technologies are being leveraged to optimize city management and attempt to improve the quality of life for urban residents.

The morning session continued with Miguel Boavida's presentation from IADE. In his talk, he focused on the coalescence of creativity and technology in urban spaces, emphasizing the importance of fostering innovative solutions. Abke Geels from the Netherlands emphasized the symbiotic relationship between cities and their inhabitants. In her presentation, "Just like a stage needs a performance, a city needs people to bring it to life," Geels highlighted the role of people in bringing vibrancy and dynamism to urban environments. Quentin Lefèvre from France delved into the intriguing concept of "UX urban design" and how subjective and community mapping can be invaluable tools in shaping user experiences within urban landscapes. Stephanie Marsh from the UK offered valuable insights on "User Research," underlining its significance in understanding and enhancing the interactions between people and the urban environment.

The afternoon session at the Fine Arts Faculty in Chiado provided a deeper appreciation for street art history through Ulrich Blanché's enthralling documentary, "Stencil Stories: A Street Art History of Stencil Graffiti." The film illuminated the historical evolution of stencil graffiti as an expressive form of urban art. Following the documentary, a panel discussion on stencil graffiti featured Tristan Manco from the UK, Joerg Huber from Germany, and Ulrich Blanché, who further explored the cultural impact and evolution of Stencil. Peter Bengtsen from Sweden presented "Tracks and Traces," an illuminating monograph that elucidated the connections between graffiti and urban spaces, highlighting the historical, cultural, and societal dimensions. The day concluded with Susan Hansen's (UK) insightful analysis, titled "The popular reception of Banksy’s Cut and Run: A meta-analysis," which explored the ways in which Banksy's artwork has been received by the public and critically examined its societal influence.

Day 2 - July 7 - Fine Arts Faculty, Chiado

The second day of the conference, held at the Fine Arts Faculty in Chiado, brought together speakers from diverse nationalities to discuss various aspects of street art, heritage preservation, and the creative influences shaping urban environments. Ronald Kramer from New Zealand offered an intriguing perspective on "5Pointz and mythology: The case for artists’ rights and signifying regimes", asserting the significance of artists' rights and their creative expressions. Minna Valjakka from the Netherlands presented "Resilient reverberations: artistic encounters and engagements" and Laima Nomeikaite from Norway explored the complexities of "Street Art, Heritage and Affective Atmospheres" in the context of urban art, underlining the importance of preserving street art as a form of cultural heritage. José Vicente from GAU / Lisbon City Council shared his experiences and expertise on urban art photography, offering valuable insights into the challenges and practices involved.

The morning keynote by Susan A. Phillips from the USA, "The Unexpected Numerical Origins of Graffiti," provided a fascinating historical narrative, tracing the roots of graffiti back to ancient civilizations and their numerical systems. Andrea Lorenzo Baldini from China engaged in metatheoretical considerations to establish a comprehensive definition of street art, enhancing our understanding of its diverse manifestations in contemporary urban landscapes. Angel Abundis from Mexico delved into the implications of computational social science, presenting "Implications of the Computational Social Science Perspective in the Analysis of Hypertextual Conversations on Instagram around Freight Train Graffiti." Geert Verhoeven from Austria shared insights into "Project INDIGO," offering an intriguing overview of their work in understanding the artistic expressions found in Vienna. Tomohiro Ishii from Japan explored the essence of street culture and its growth while staying young, discussing how street art continues to be an integral part of urban life and societal interactions. Ilaria Hoppe from Austria delved into "Bad" Street Art, examining the artistic practice of Res Publica Temporanea in Catania, Sicily, and exploring how the public perceives and engages with controversial street art.

The afternoon session included a panel discussion on the challenges of publishing research on street art and graffiti, featuring Jacob Kimvall from Sweden, Susan Hansen from the UK, and Pedro Soares Neves from Portugal. This discussion provided valuable insights into the evolving field of street art research and the opportunities and obstacles in disseminating scholarly work.

The "Rituals of Resistance: Marginal Writings in Public Space", the last panel of the day, was a captivating exploration of the interplay between urban art and the dynamics of resistance. The panel featured a diverse group of speakers from Indague association, each bringing unique perspectives to the discussion. Keko Martínez (Dreucol), an independent researcher from Spain, shared insightful findings on the marginalized voices that find expression through urban writings. Isabel Carrasco Castro from Marist College, Spain, provided thought-provoking insights into the cultural significance of street art as a form of resistance against societal norms and constraints. Jaume Gómez Muñoz, another independent researcher from Spain, contributed to the dialogue through an online presentation, delving into the ritualistic nature of marginalized writings and their impact on urban communities. Meanwhile, María Fernanda Jaramillo from Universidad de las Artes Guayaquil, Ecuador, also joined the discussion online, offering unique perspectives on the role of urban art as a medium of resistance in diverse cultural contexts. The panel provided attendees with a comprehensive understanding of how urban spaces serve as platforms for marginalized voices to express resistance, challenge power structures, and foster inclusive dialogue within society.

Day 3 - July 8 - CIM, Mouraria

The final day of the conference was held at CIM in Mouraria, focusing on the legal dimensions and copyright considerations related to street art, graffiti, and NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens). Enrico Bonadio from the UK and Siri Egeland from Norway engaged in a comprehensive exploration of "Street Art, Graffiti, and NFTs: Copyright issues on the streets of Web3 Author(s)." The presentations provided a crucial understanding of the legal landscape and its impact on urban art.

Tom Ward from Sweden presented "Street Art and the Mural Economy," analyzing the economic implications and the contributions of street art to the urban ecosystem. Hugo Cardoso from Portugal provided insights into urban art as a strategic tool in shaping public spaces, while Sara Godinho and Mauro do PER 11 from Portugal discussed public space and its role in fostering creativity and community engagement.

The day continued with a presentation by Christian Gerini from France and Antoine Chateau from France, titled "The real lives of street art artists: testimonies and writings," providing a more personal and human perspective on the lives of street artists and their experiences within urban settings. Ana Gariso from Portugal and Maria Regina Redinha from Portugal engaged in a panel discussion, exploring the legal aspects of street art, its boundaries, and implications in contemporary societies.

The afternoon concluded with the books presentation by Javier Abarca from Spain, titled "Tag Spotlight" volumes 1 to 4, providing a compilation of insights into the world of urban art. An author panel with Red dot theory - MVIN from Spain, Tamara Alves from Portugal, Obey SKTR from Portugal, and Gonçalo Mar from Portugal provided a captivating dialogue on their creative journeys in the realm of urban art.

The conference wrapped up with concluding remarks and the presentation of an upcoming post-graduate course, fostering participants' enthusiasm and commitment to further exploring and contributing to the field of urban creativity and innovation. Overall, the Urban Creativity 2023 Lisbon conference offered the usual comprehensive platform for knowledge exchange, networking, and exploration of urban art's diverse manifestations and influences in contemporary societies.

Conference Program

6 of July

10h - 13h - Venue CIUL auditorium - Picoas

10h00
Are We Just Numbers Under The Blue Light Of The Cyber-Sun (online)
Cristina Moraru, National University of the Arts "George Enescu" Iasi, România

10h20
Lisbon Intelligent Management Platform
Inês Soares, LX Data Lab / CML

11h00
Miguel Boavida, Creative Technologies, IADE, Lisbon, Portugal*

11h20 Break

11h30
Just like a stage needs a performance, a city needs people to bring it to life (online)
Abke Geels, Urban Experience Design, Rotterdam, Netherlands

11h50
UX urban design. Subjective/community mapping as a tool for UX urban design
Quentin Lefèvre, independent researcher, Paris, France

12h20
User Research
Stephanie Marsh, UX Research Operations Lead da Springer Nature, UK

13h00 - Lunch Break

14h30 - 18h - Venue: Fine Arts Faculty (Main auditorium) - Chiado

14h30
Stencil Stories. A Street Art History of Stencil Graffiti (60 Min.) 
Ulrich Blanché, director

15h30
Panel - Stencil graffiti
Tristan Manco, author, lecturer and creative director, UK
Joerg Huber, photographer, Germany
Ulrich Blanché, University of Heidelberg, Germany

16h30
Peter Bengtsen presents his new monograph Tracks and Traces (online)
Peter Bengtsen, Lund University, Sweden

16h50 Break

17h00
Urban Art Laboratory as a Form of Engaging with Everyday Life (online)
Oleksandra Nenko, University of the Arts in Helsinki, Finland

17h20
SHAME a short film about the art of Dr.d aka Subvertiser
Olly Walker, producer, UK Damon, Dr.d (online), artist, UK

18h00
The popular reception of Banksy’s Cut and Run: A meta-analysis
Susan Hansen, Middlesex University, UK

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Social program - Largo Residencias venue
19h00 - Artivism (snacks, drinks, activities)
___________________________________________

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7 of July

10h00 - 18h - Venue: Fine Arts Faculty (Main auditorium) - Chiado

10h00
5Pointz and mythology: The case for artists’ rights and signifying regimes (online)
Ronald Kramer, University of Auckland, New Zealand

10h20
Panel - Restoration, conservation and heritage
Resilient reverberations: artistic encounters and engagements (online)
Minna Valjakka, Leiden University, Netherlands

Street Art, Heritage and Affective Atmospheres (online) 
Laima Nomeikaite, University of South-Eastern Norway

José Vicente – photographer, DPC/ CML, Lisbon , Portugal
Ana Silva Dias – heritage conservation division coordinator, DPC/ CML, Lisbon , Portugal*

11h40 Break

12h00
Keynote - The Unexpected Numerical Origins of Graffiti
Susan A. Phillips, Pitzer College, Robert Redford Conservancy for Southern California Sustainability, USA

12h40
Metatheoretical considerations for a definition of street art (online)
Andrea Lorenzo Baldini, Alliance University Bengaluru, karnataka, India

13h00 - Lunch Break

14h00
Implications of the Computational Social Science Perspective in the Analysis of Hypertextual Conversations on Instagram around Freight Train Graffiti (online)
Angel Abundis, Universidad de Guadalajara, Mexico

14h20
Project INDIGO – An overview in numbers (online)
Geert Verhoeven, Ludwig Boltzmann Institut für Archäologische, Austria

14h40
Being in the peripheral: How Street Culture grows yet stays young.(online)
Tomohiro Ishii, Tokyo University of the Arts, Japan

15h00
“Bad” Street Art: The artistic practice of Res Publica Temporanea in Catania, Sicily
Ilaria Hoppe, Katholische Privat-Universität Linz, Austria

15h30 Break

15h40 
Panel - Nuart Journal: The Challenges of Publishing Research on Street Art and Graffiti
Martyn Reed, Nuart director, Nuart Journal editor, Norway
Susan Hansen, Nuart Journal co-editor, Middlesex University, UK
Pedro Soares Neves, Urban Creativity director, AP2 Journals editor, Portugal

16h40
Panel title: Rituals of Resistance. Marginal Writings in Public Space
Keko Martínez (Dreucol), independent researcher, Spain
Isabel Carrasco Castro, Marist College, Spain
Jaume Gómez Muñoz, independent researcher, Spain (online)
María Fernanda Jaramillo, Universidad de las Artes Guayaquil Ecuador (online)

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Social program - Príncipe do Calhariz
20h00 - Dinner 
___________________________________________

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8 of July

10h - 18h Venue: CIM - Mouraria

10h00
Street Art, Graffiti and NFTs: Copyright issues on the streets of Web3 Author(s) (online)
Enrico Bonadio, University of London, UK
Siri Egeland, University of Agder, Norway

10h30
Street Art and the Mural Economy
Tom Ward, Uppsala University, Sweden

10h50
Hugo Cardoso, Galeria de Arte Urbana, DMC/CML, Portugal

11h10
Panel – Urban art as territorial and public space strategy
Kedy Santos, Loures Arte Pública, Portugal

13h00 - Lunch Break

14h00
The real lives of street art artists: testimonies and writings.(online)
Christian Gerini, University of Toulon, France
Antoine Chateau, independent researcher, France

14h30
Panel - Legal*
Ana Gariso, Universidade Nova de Lisboa,  FCSH, Portugal
Maria Regina Redinha, Faculdade de Direito da Universidade do Porto, Portugal (online)

15h10
From Hegemonic Zero-Tolerance to Controversial Open Walls - The Legal Graffiti Subculture in Stockholm since 2014
Jacob Kimvall, Konstfack University of Arts, Stockholm, Sweden

15h30 Break

15h40
Book presentaion: ‘Tag Spotlight’ volumes 1 to 4.
Javier Abarca, independent researcher, Spain

16h20
Author panel
Red dot theory - MVIN, author, Spain
Tamara Alves, Portugal
Obey SKTR, Portugal

17h30
Conclusions Post-graduate course presentation.

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Map with all venues here
https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1sJXwJPcWRNKDAn6wr-cSUNZEbCH7ejw&hl=pt-PT&usp=sharing