Mascha Salgado de Matos

Mascha Salgado de Matos serves as Research Fellow in the Chair of Philosophy at Academy of Fine Arts Munich, working under Prof. Dr. Maria Muhle. Her current dissertation explores "Artistic Historiographies of Portugal from the Dictatorship to the Present," examining oceanic motifs as conceptual frameworks. Active in teaching and research, she maintains weekly consultation hours and contributes to academic discourse through publications and international collaborations.

Her educational foundation includes interdisciplinary studies at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, where she specialized in:

• Near and Middle Eastern Studies (Arabic/Islamic focus)
• Philosophy
• History of Art

Research interests center on modern/contemporary art theory and aesthetics, with distinctive emphases on Portuguese art historiography, feminist practices since 1974, and anthropomorphism in visual culture. She investigates how oceanic metaphors structure artistic thought during political transitions, while analyzing intersections between artistic freedom and contemporary cancel culture debates. Her work bridges continental philosophy, postcolonial theory, and visual anthropology to decode cultural memory in Iberian and Lusophone contexts.

Recent scholarly output shows evolving thematic depth: early contributions (2020-2021) focused on African/Maghrebi photographic practices within global frameworks, while her 2024 editorial leadership of 'colophon Nr. 7' demonstrates consolidation in anthropomorphism studies. Current projects integrate oceanic theory with diaspora studies, reflecting her participation in Kiel University's water phenomenology seminar.

As an educator, she designs courses exploring motherhood tropes in contemporary art (WiSe 24/25), anthropomorphic projection (SoSe 24), and Portuguese feminist art (SoSe 22). Her moderation of international panels—including the 2024 'Atlantic Exchange' with Afro-diasporic artists—provides students with access to global artistic networks. Though not leading a formal laboratory, her research group operates through the Chair of Philosophy, fostering collaborations with institutions like Zentralinstitut für Kunstgeschichte and Lothringer 13.