Porto, between two Bridges: Images of a Space in Tension

Abstract

This article engages with the theme of "Multilateral Dialogues" by exploring the tensions and interlocutions that define contemporary Porto (Portugal), a city emblematic of tourism-driven transformations. The study aims to present a critical and visual exploration of the urban tensions between the showcase city and the inhabited city. The methodology is an experimental praxis framed as a visual archaeology of the present. This praxis is based on an experimental urban walk that combines 360° video, smartphone photography, and 3D photogrammetry. The visual experiment adopts a reflexive "ethno-graphic" approach: the researcher's body is integrated into the image, questioning the stance of the observer as both tourist and critic, and serving as a primary site of interlocution. The main result is a visual essay that does not aim to document the city objectively, but rather to render perceptible the temporal, social, and material strata that constitute Porto's urban landscape. By attending to subtle details, ruins, and spaces, the study offers a situated reading of the conflicts, cohabitations, and (potential) resistances that shape the contemporary Western city. Ultimately, this work foregrounds the complex layering of life, memory, and commodification, revealing a space under the pressures of tourism-driven capitalism as a site of constant confrontation.