The legacy of the photographer known as '50' is gradually taking shape thanks to the efforts of his son, artist Lino Damião, and anthropologist Inês Ponte, a researcher at the Institute of Social Sciences of the University of Lisbon and responsible for the Social History Archive of the same institution. Despite much still needing to be discovered, systematized, cataloged, and restored.
On one wall of the room, dozens of A4 sheets are covered with handwritten notes and diagrams—this is a map of the work that has begun. Lino Damião told Lusa that the work started in 2021 with his brothers and other relatives to collect materials left by his father in various places. He noted that a significant amount of material arrived in the form of boxes.
The Arkivo50 archive operates in space provided by the Universidade Lusíada de Angola (ULA). Here, thousands of digitized photographs coexist with negatives that still need to be identified, analog cameras, lenses, books, masks, and a Soviet enlarger that the photographer used when developing pictures. Long tables converted into workspaces resemble a laboratory where envelopes with negatives, time-yellowed photographs, and old albums, some protected by laurel leaves from insects, accumulate.
The 50mm lens, which he rarely put down, forced him to get closer to his subjects, unlike wide-angle lenses. It was at the Moscow Olympics in 1980, being the only Black photographer among colleagues equipped with telephoto lenses, that he earned the nickname '50'. Lino recalls that he had to stay closer to others to photograph them because 'the guy from 50 stood there and covered them.' He adds: 'His pendant was a camera.'
The ambitions go beyond just a family collection; the goal is for Arkivo50 to develop as an open archive and help stop the dissipation of visual memory that disappears over time. Lino Damião admits that they are just starting out but aim to move forward, noting that they have about two thousand negatives to review, thousands of photographs to inventory, rolls whose contents are unknown to develop, and materials stored in suboptimal preservation conditions to work with.
Polino Damião, born in 1949 in Nambuanngongo, one of the regions most affected by the colonial war, encountered tragedy early on, losing his parents during an attack by colonial troops as a teenager. After being captured by soldiers in the forests, he spent about a year in a barracks until living relatives were found. There he met the journalist and writer Manuel Besa Murias, which likely sparked his interest in photography.
Years later, while already in Portugal, he reconnected with the journalist's wife, who had since passed away. Polino called her, and it took her some time to understand who was speaking to her—a young man she visited at the Luanda Military Hospital, bringing him sweets and drawing books. On the other end of the line was the official photographer of President José Eduardo dos Santos at the time.
Polino Damião worked for the newspaper Jornal de Angola for almost fifty years, covering political events, military conflicts, cultural demonstrations, and official ceremonies, but his camera also captured family events. The legacy features portraits of weddings and baptisms alongside images of war and the country's construction, as well as the beloved and photogenic Shikala neighborhood, a fishing quarter near the entrance to Luanda Island, where he lived for many years. He accompanied decades of fighting, from Cabinda to Cunene, from Mavinga to peace agreements, from Gabodolite to Lusaka, photographing participants in history and culture, as well as people from everyday life—from street vendors to street children who appeared after the civil war. As his son summarizes, he photographed 'from the ambassador to the gawker.'
The materials cover the period from 1968 to 2020, because, as Lino Damião emphasizes, 'father photographed until the last moment.' Every working day is also an exercise in memory. He admits that 'every day is a tear in the corner of my eye,' moving between 'moments of sadness and moments of joy.' Nevertheless, he notes: 'But it is good to be here; it brings me joy to touch this material. It is a lot of emotion, but it must be done.' As each image finds its place, the photographer's work reveals more stories about Angola.
The works 'The Odyssey' and 'The Iliad' represent only two segments of a larger epic cycle, composed of eight distinct narratives related to the Trojan War. Much of the original material was lost over time, and crucial events, such as Achilles' death or Odysseus' murder by his own son, exist only through remaining fragments.
Many readers are familiar with the Trojan War, especially after recent cinematic adaptations, such as Christopher Nolan's. However, it is important to note that neither 'The Iliad' nor 'The Odyssey,' the Homeric poems considered pillars of Western literature, detail all these events. For example, the ingenious trick of the Trojan Horse is mentioned only superficially by Homer.
These central episodes belong to other literary works created in periods subsequent to the Homeric poems. 'The Iliad' and 'The Odyssey' are merely parts of a vast saga covering the preparations for the war, the unfolding of the conflict, and the fate of the heroes after the battle ends. Scholars call this collection the 'Epic Cycle,' which was traditionally recited by bards in Ancient Greece.
Six of the eight narratives of this cycle were historically lost, leaving only the two Homeric poems. Knowledge of the lost works comes from summaries made by ancient authors and citations preserved in other literary creations.
Of the eight poems, only 'The Iliad' and 'The Odyssey' are directly credited to Homer. Although there is debate about the existence of a single author, it is accepted that Homer was regarded as the greatest poet by the ancient Greeks, and his works were essential in the education of the elite, which may have contributed to their preservation through copies on parchment and books.
The other six poems are by various authors and are most likely later than Homer's writings. They appear to have been elaborated to construct a cohesive chronology of the Trojan War, given that 'The Iliad' focuses on a specific segment of the conflict, and 'The Odyssey' narrates Odysseus' return after the war ends.
Below, we present the poems of the Epic Cycle in chronological order of the events they narrate:
Attributed to Stachys of Cyprus, written around the 7th century BC, this lost poem describes the beginning of the Trojan War. The prince Paris of Troy is chosen to judge a competition between the goddesses Aphrodite, Hera, and Athena, deciding that Aphrodite is the most beautiful. As a reward, Aphrodite grants Paris the love of Helen, married to the Spartan king Menelaus. When Paris takes Helen to Troy, the Greek kings declare war, initiating a ten-year conflict. Before marching, Agamemnon, King of Mycenae and Greek leader, sacrifices his daughter Iphigenia to the gods. The text narrates the preparation, the first battles, and the initial siege. Most of what is known about Cypria comes from a summary made by Procopius, and Aristotle even criticized the work, finding it inferior to the quality of Homer.
Written by Homer in the 8th century BC, this poem portrays part of the last year of the Trojan War, focusing on the hero Achilles. After an argument with Agamemnon, Achilles decides to leave the fighting. His friend Patroclus is killed by the Trojan prince Hector, forcing Achilles to return to the fight. Achilles confronts and kills Hector. The poem concludes with Priam, King of Troy, pleading with Achilles to return his son's body for burial, a request that is granted. This work is preserved in its entirety.
Attributed to Arctinus of Miletus, probably in the 7th century BC, this work follows directly after 'The Iliad.' It recounts the arrival of reinforcements to Troy against the Greeks. First, the Amazons, legendary warriors, arrive, and their queen, Penthesilea, is killed by Achilles. Next, the army led by the Ethiopian king Memnon arrives. Memnon kills the Greek hero Antilochus, provoking Achilles' fury, who kills him in revenge. The climax is Achilles' death, struck by an arrow shot by Paris. The poem ends with Achilles' funeral and a dispute over who will inherit his weapons: Odysseus or Ajax. Few original verses survived, with the story known through a summary by Procopius.
By Leschues, possibly in the 7th century BC, this narrative details the events following Achilles' death. It is in this poem that the episode of the Trojan Horse is detailed. During the dispute over the inheritance of Achilles' equipment between Odysseus and Ajax, the Greeks decide that Odysseus is the most deserving, leading Ajax to suicide out of shame. Paris is murdered by the Greek hero Philoctetes. The Greeks receive a prophecy that Troy would not fall while a statue of Athena remained in the city. Odysseus and Diomedes, another Greek hero, disguise themselves as beggars and enter the city, stealing the statue of Athena to take it to the Greek camp. Following Athena's advice, the Greeks build the famous horse and simulate surrender, ending with the Trojans bringing the horse inside the city. Several original verses survived through citations, and the complete narrative was summarized by Procopius.
Attributed to Arctinus of Miletus, probably in the 7th century BC, this poem deals with the final destruction of Troy. Initially, the Trojans debate what to do with the Greek horse; the option of offering it to the goddess Athena prevails. They celebrate the apparent victory, but at night, the Greek soldier Sinon alerts the Greeks, who silently open the gates of Troy. The city is invaded, and the poem describes the massacre of civilians and the destruction of buildings. The King of Troy, Priam, is killed by Neoptolemus on a Zeus altar, an act considered sacrilegious. Menelaus recovers Helen. Subsequently, the Greeks sacrifice the Trojan princess Polyxena, daughter of Priam, in Achilles' tomb. The extreme Greek violence leads the goddess Athena to decide to punish them on their journeys home.
This poem, of uncertain authorship (possibly Eumelos) and uncertain dating (8th or 7th century BC), narrates the return of several Greek heroes after the fall of Troy, paralleling 'The Odyssey.' Due to the wrath of the gods over the atrocities committed during the sack, the heroes face challenges and curses on the way back. Menelaus, King of Sparta, is imprisoned in Egypt for years due to unfavorable divine winds. The most notorious story is that of Agamemnon, King of Mycenae, who is murdered by his wife, Clytemnestra, after ten years of war because she had kept a lover. Later, his son, Orestes, kills his mother and the lover in retaliation. In the end, all the Greek heroes returned or died, except Odysseus.
Attributed to Homer and dated to the 8th century BC, this is the known story, which includes the Cyclops, the sorceress Circe, the monsters Scylla and Charybdis, the island of Calypso, and a ten-year journey.
This direct sequel to 'The Odyssey,' of uncertain authorship (possibly Eugamon), presents a peculiar setting. It is discovered that Odysseus had a son with the sorceress Circe on her island, named Telegonus. Upon learning who his father is, Telegonus decides to sail in search of Odysseus. The poem also details Odysseus' adventures after his return to Ithaca, including a journey to the land of Tesporus, where he marries Queen Calydice and has a son. He participates in a neighboring war before returning to Ithaca, leaving his son to rule. A storm carries Telegonus to an unknown island, where he steals cattle and enters into conflict with the owner. In combat, Telegonus fatally wounds the man with a magical poisoned spear from Circe. He then realizes that the island is Ithaca and that the dying man is his father, Odysseus. The two recognize each other and mourn the tragedy. Telegonus decides to take his father's body to be buried on Circe's island, accompanied by Penelope and Telemachus. There, Circe grants immortality to the three. The bizarre conclusion involves Penelope marrying Telegonus and Telemachus marrying Circe. All this knowledge comes from Procopius.
The project was created through a collaboration between students of the Kaiserslautern University of Applied Sciences (Hochschule Kaiserslautern) and the groups Gans Anders and Bonanza, based in Innsbruck.
As part of the Gabons Music Festival, the students designed a temporary pavilion for the Rossau Recreation Center. This center is located on the grounds of a former municipal landfill, which the mentioned groups aim to revitalize as a public space by hosting cultural events.
The resulting structure is a hybrid, situated at the intersection of furniture, installation, and architecture. It serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a tribune/relaxation area, a visual attraction, and a place for social interaction, while reflecting the experimental spirit of the festival itself.
The design team provided the description of the Macchiato Pocket Park. This public space was conceived by OUT Architecture with the aim of participating in the London Festival of Architecture in 2026.
The park is located in front of The Colombian Coffee Company, on Petticoat Lane, a street known for being one of the most dynamic and culturally diverse areas of London. The initiative aims to convert an urban corner that previously went unnoticed into a meeting point, a place for conversation, and a refuge from the city's routine.
