João Sousa Cardoso

João Sousa Cardoso (b. 1977) is a lecturer at Universidade Lusófona and holds a PhD in Social Sciences from Université Paris Descartes (Sorbonne). His work bridges aesthetics, cinema, theatre and the social sciences, producing a steady stream of academic publications, curatorial projects, theatrical productions and critical essays.

Education:

• Licenciatura in Plastic Arts – Sculpture
• Mestrado in Communication Sciences
• Doutoramento in Social Sciences – Université Paris Descartes
• Diploma of Specialisation / Higher Diploma of Advanced Studies in the French Language

Research Interests

Cardoso interrogates the intersections between visual culture, performative practices and social theory. His investigations range from the sociology of cinema and Portuguese diasporic imagination to the expanded field of theatre and contemporary curatorial strategies. Recurring themes include post-colonial identity, the politics of representation, and the ethical dimensions of artistic practice.

Across the last two decades he has curated multidisciplinary projects such as Arritmia (Porto, 2000) and Os Dias de Janus (Porto, 2006), participated in artistic residencies in Italy, France, the Netherlands and Austria, and written extensively for journals and newspapers.

Publications & Critical Writing

Since 2000 Cardoso has published dozens of exhibition reviews, essays and book chapters in venues such as CONTEMPORÂNEA, PÚBLICO, Les Nouvelles d’Archimède and various university presses. His recent 2023–2024 articles focus on contemporary Portuguese and international artists, reflecting sustained engagement with global visual culture.

Theatre, Performance & Exhibition Projects

He has authored or co-authored numerous theatrical pieces presented at major Portuguese venues (Teatro Nacional São João, Teatro Municipal do Porto, Gulbenkian, Serralves) and international partners. These works often integrate scholarly research with experimental staging, exemplifying his concept of an “expanded theatre”.

Grants & Collaborative Networks

While specific grant numbers are not detailed, Cardoso has held artistic residencies supported by institutions such as Fondazione Pistoletto (Italy), Laboratoires d’Aubervilliers (France) and multiple European cultural funds, facilitating transnational collaborations between 2002 and 2008.