Age Matters - F/262 Festival Internacional de Fotografia Merch

Age Matters by João Carlos

Portraits of Territory and Memory

Part of the F/262 – International Photography Festival, Age Matters is a participatory photography project that connects people, place, and memory. Through portraiture and dialogue, the project builds a living archive of the territory, celebrating senior citizens and the life stories that shape local identity.

The project is integrated into the festival’s theme Moldar as Margens / Shaping Shores, exploring how communities, generations, and landscapes are formed through time, presence, and lived experience.

The Project

Age Matters began as a portrait series focused on older generations and has evolved into a long-term, community-based project with tangible social impact.

The project has:

Been exhibited in public and cultural spaces
Been broadcast on national television and featured in multiple media outlets
Been published as a book by the Lisbon City Council and the Municipal Library Network
Brought together hundreds of participants and a wide audience

Within F/262, Age Matters enters a new phase, expanding its reach across the Oeste region and deepening its connection to local communities.

Gallery in Motion, Studio in the Territory

At the heart of this new phase is the creation of a mobile gallery and photographic studio, a refitted vehicle designed to function both as a working studio and a micro-gallery.

This mobile format makes it possible to:

Photograph directly on location, within each community
Create small-scale, local exhibitions in the places where the portraits are made
Bring photography and cultural experiences to people who rarely have access to them

The mobile gallery visits:

Residential and nursing homes
Day centers and Casas do Povo
Community spaces, public squares, and local institutions

Inspired by international mobile museum initiatives, Age Matters brings art to people, rather than waiting for people to come to art.

Territory and Community

The project travels across all parishes of Caldas da Rainha and Óbidos, working in close collaboration with municipalities, parish councils, cultural institutions, and community organizations.

Caldas da Rainha

12 parishes:
A-dos-Francos, Alvorninha, Carvalhal Benfeito, Foz do Arelho, Landal, Nadadouro, Nossa Senhora do Pópulo, Coto e São Gregório, Salir de Matos, Salir de Porto, Tornada, Vidais.

Óbidos

7 parishes:
A-dos-Negros, Amoreira, Gaeiras, Olho Marinho, Sobral da Lagoa, Usseira, Vau.

The selection and scheduling of locations are developed in partnership with local authorities, respecting the character and rhythm of each community.

Expected Outcomes

Creation of a large intergenerational photographic archive of the territory
Local exhibitions in every participating parish
A final exhibition integrated into F/262
Potential future publication and project itinerancy

Age Matters is, above all, a project about presence, care, and recognition. Each portrait holds a story, and together those stories help shape the collective memory of the territory.