This year, Temps D’Images Lisboa celebrates 15 years, and more than a manifesto – it wishes to manifest itself.
The festival almost changed its name, but then it realized it didn´t need this change in order to grow and to glow.
This edition signals the beginning of a new cycle. We took advantage of circumstances in order to surpass the making of an inventory. We aim to renew and revitalize the ways of thinking, constructing and presenting of this festival that is primarily financed by public funds. This implies a work deservedly guided by increasingly clear, yet complex and demanding assumptions.

We are currently introducing a program, which, if looked at closely, seems to reflect some essential premises that we intend to solidify while keeping in mind the implied flexibility needed for artistic production.

TdI´s budgetary reality implies a conciliation with a program which is necessarily composed, above all, of the presentation of national artists or artists residing in a geographically accessible area. We are thus able to support a very competent and promising, yet fragile, professional fabric, avid for opportunities.

Within this broad spectrum that is the relationship between the image and live art, and as we are known for our open doors, we are at once sought by artists at the beginning of their career, as well as by “veterans” who aim to present work that for various reasons demand specific conditions: these may include an interest in alternative presentation spaces, proposals that imply specific “risks” that are often connected to being open to failure – which must be defended at all costs – or aesthetic choices and approaches / characteristics / artistic procedures that do not find place in other contexts.

It is clear to us, that TdI, more than an institution, is a platform, by,definition unstable and insecure, which exists only because there is also a supporting network of partners that comes together in order for it to bear fruit.

TdI does not have its own space and it doesn´t want one.
It likes to visit other homes, where it is usually welcomed and finds a place for its gatherings and divergences.

It is important for us to extend our deepest thanks to all the spaces that accompany and shelter us, often with a surprising generosity, and of course, we use the term “space” to designate a vast range of people, from programmers to technicians. When you see the list of partners involved in any edition of TdI, please remember that there is a strong majority of professionals (and sometimes amateurs) that dedicated themselves to a project that they did not directly sign, while investing significant time and energy for it to succeed.

TdI does not wish to protect artists, but understands that it must increasingly protect the conditions under which they work, and this is the only way it can protect itself.

Just a short paragraph here, dedicated to the artists, “ours“ and all others, for continuing to do what they have to do, regardless of public and private difficulties and betrayals.

And finally, we would like to mention one person in particular – Maria José Peyroteo, who have always been a part of TdI, who no longer shows up in the credits, but continues to show up everywhere.
Zé, this edition is for everyone, but most especially for you.