Joana Rafael is an architect practitioner and Postdoctoral Researcher, specializing in ecological concerns related to pollution and contamination, both indoors and in urban planning. Her research explores the intersections of architecture and urbanism with human geography, environmental studies, and power dynamics, encompassing contemporary culture, media studies, art, and technology. She investigates the materiality and limits of physical infrastructures in relation to Earth's systems and the reciprocal relationships between humans and nature, with a particular focus on radiologically contaminated environments. Joana has taught Contextual Studies and Contemporary Culture-related courses at institutions including ESAP in Porto, ISCE Douro in Penafiel, Central Saint Martins in London, and the University for the Creative Arts in Canterbury. She is a member of CEGOT (Center for Studies in Geography and Spatial Planning) and CEAA (Centro de Estudos Arnaldo Araújo), and a co-founder of REFINERY BOARD. Joana holds a Master of Architecture and Urban Cultures from Metropolis, Barcelona, as well as a Master of Research Architecture and a PhD in Visual Cultures from Goldsmiths, University of London. She also earned a Healthier Materials and Sustainable Building Specialization certificate from Parsons School of Design, The New School. In addition to her academic pursuits, Joana is a certified farmer.
A Message from Urgeiriça postcard
In response to Paraíso Hoje, the Portuguese Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, A Postcard from Urgeiriça confronts the paradox of contemporary “paradise” by revealing the overlooked legacies of uranium extraction and contamination in an inland Portuguese mining town. While the pavilion explores utopian visions shaped by technology and coastal idylls, this postcard highlights the hidden environmental injustices, demographic decline, and grassroots resistance within Portugal’s interior. It challenges dominant narratives of harmony and progress by positioning architecture and activism as urgent agents in addressing landscapes marked by exploitation and inequality, inviting reflection on the real conditions beneath the surface of paradise.
