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.
Xpedizione 2025 Meeting
An Open Path Toward the Rediscovery of Forgotten Nature
November 20–22, 2025 – Island of Sant’Erasmo, Venice
Xpedizione – Aprire un Cammino held its first major annual journey from November 20 to 22, 2025, on the island of Sant’Erasmo in the Venetian lagoon. This meeting brought together artists, scientists, architects, ecologists, and thinkers from across Europe — including Porto, Paris, and Milan — in a collaborative exploration that combined research, creativity, and attentive listening to the environment.
Participants explored a 24-hectare site abandoned since 1990, where nature has reclaimed human spaces. Amid canals and wild vegetation, the expedition documented resilient forms of life and reflected on the transformations of the landscape.
Xpedizione 2025 served as a living laboratory of questions, where art, science, and imagination converged to rethink our relationship with the Earth. As part of the ongoing four-year annual project, the meeting laid the groundwork for a collaborative group to develop grant projects, continuing the exploration and dialogue initiated on the island.
