METAMORPHOSES OF PLASTICS: Reality and multiple approaches

Temporary exhibition

Plastics are everywhere, from the inside of our bodies to outer space. For 150 years, this class of materials has transformed the way we live, work, wear shoes, and sustain ourselves and our planet.

Over the past decade, a group of Portuguese scientists and researchers has collaborated with European and American colleagues to better understand how plastics became so important, how we can live better with them, and what this material means for all of us.

The exhibition "Metamorphoses of Plastics: Reality and Multiple Approaches" is the public presentation of this research. It shows how early plastics made luxury accessible to all, introduces some of the people and companies that made plastics an essential part of industrial development in Portugal, and highlights some of the most significant innovations in Portuguese plastic footwear.

But the exhibition doesn''t just look to the past; it also explores the paradoxes of plastic and addresses many of the concerns we all share about waste, reuse, and sustainability through an interactive and hands-on approach.

"Metamorphoses of Plastics" invites all visitors to reflect on a material that has shaped—and continues to shape—our shared world.

Come discover how plastic has changed everything—and what we can still do with it.