Laboratories

Pursuant to other manners of organizing the Institute’s researchers, the laboratories are interdisciplinary units that aim to discuss urgent contemporary issues in the realms of society, science, culture and the arts. Being more topic-driven, they are a veritable experimentation and discussion ground directly attuned to current local, national or global circumstances. They are also designed to help organize events and carry out other activities related to the Institute’s Management Project for 2012-2017.

The first laboratory, Contemporary Societies, has shown its relevance since it was established in the heat of the street demonstrations that erupted in Brazil in mid-June 2013. The amazing way the demonstrations grew in size and number in a few weeks, mobilizing millions of people and hundreds of cities, led the Institute to organize the series of debates UTI Brazil [ICU Brazil], with two meetings held so far: O que está acontecendo? [What’s Happening?], on June 21, and Como avançar? [What's Next?], on July 3.

With regard to future laboratories stemming from the management project, possible discussion themes include the institutional role of design, open-source information structures and architectures, and even the organization and digital preservation of collections of institutional memory – important elements to develop the Institute’s new visual identity and the graphic and editorial policies of the new site.