Emanuel Félix
Nº OF MEETING: VI
Emanuel Félix Borges da Silva was born in Angra do Heroísmoon October 24, 1936 and died on February 14, 2004 in the same city. Poet, essayist, author of short stories and chronicles, literary and art critic, he was considered the introducer of concrete poetry in Portugal, which he soonabandoned,having also experimented withsurrealism.
He founded and was co-editor of the magazine Gávea (1958). He was co-editor of the magazine Atlântida, from the InstitutoAçoriano de Cultura[Azorean Institute of Culture]. He began his studies in the Azores, although hecompleted most of his technical and professional training abroad, particularly at the French Institute for the Restoration of Artworks (Paris), at the Anderlecht School of Fine Arts and at the Leuven Catholic University, where he specialized atthe Laboratory for the Study of Artworks by Scientific Methods of the Institute of Archaeology and History of Art of the same university.
He took part in field trips and long-term internships in colleges and scientific services of museums in Paris, Rouen, Brussels, Liège, Amsterdam, London, Rome, Florence, etc.
He was responsible for creating the Centro de Estudo, Conservação e Restauro de Obras de Arte dos Açores [Azores Center for the Study, Conservation and Restoration of Artworks], which hepresided over and organized with the support of the European Social Fund, and for training courses for easel paintingrestoration. Having started his life as a primary school teacher, he was alsoa secondary school teacher andlater a college professor, presenting a proposal and collaborating in the restructuring of the curriculum of the college degree in Conservation and Restoration of the Tomar Technology School, where he taught Painting Technology and Techniques of Conservation and Restoration, courses whose syllabus he prepared. At the same School, he was part of the study, consulting and scientific development of the respective restoration laboratory and was in charge of specialty internships.
He was part of the group of experts of “Project 10” from the Council for Cultural Cooperation of the Council of Europe, which held countless hearings to study the cultural dynamics in the development of several European regions. He delivered lectures and participated in round tables at cultural associations and universities in the United States. He was a member of several cultural and foreign institutions andpublished hundreds of articles in newspapers and magazines from the Azores, from the Portuguese mainland and from abroad. Heisrepresented in numerousanthologiesofpoetry.
The major worksthathepublished are Vendedor de Bichos (poetry), Lisboa, 1965; Angra no Último Quartel do Século XVI, Angra do Heroísmo, 1967; A Palavra O Açoite (poetry), Coimbra, 1977; A Viagem Possível (poetry, 1965/81), Angra do Heroísmo, 1984; Seis Nomes de Mulher (poetry), Angra do Heroísmo, 1985; António Dacosta – Esboço de um Roteiro Sentimental, Angra do Heroísmo, 1988; O Dragoeiro (DracaenaDraco da Macaronésia), Chave da Grande Obra em Jerónimo Bosch, Angra do Heroísmo, 1988; Conceito e Dinâmica do Património Cultural, Angra do Heroísmo, 1989; O Instante Suspenso (poetry), Angra do Heroísmo, 1992; A Viagem Possível (restructuredandupdated1stedition), Lisboa, 1993; Os Trincos da Memória (narrativefiction), Ponta Delgada, 1994; Iconografia e Simbólica do Espírito Santo nos Açores, Praia da Vitória, 1995; Habitação das Chuvas (poetry), Angra do Heroísmo, 1997. Hisupcomingbookswere: Paramentos Antigos dos Açores – Sécs. XIV, XV e XVI (ArtHistory), Comunicação, Cultura, Liberdade (articles, communications, lecturesandothertexts).