1.

Inner Landscapes

AI agents forecasting behavior. Each agent has a neural network that helps them learn behavior patterns.

Group behavior within the designed environment, where environmental characteristics influence agents’ behavior.

This project aims to develop a digital platform for behavioral research, with a focus on social decision-making and human-AI interaction studies. The platform combines immersive virtual environments with AI agents that exhibit distinct personality traits to investigate group dynamics, decision-making processes, and the influence of AI on human behavior. By leveraging virtual reality and large language models, the platform provides a controlled yet realistic setting for simulating real-world interactions. This enables researchers to capture high-dimensional behavioral data, including physiological responses, emotional states, and conversational dynamics.

Designed to balance scientific rigor with ecological validity, the platform supports a wide range of research scenarios—from individual behavior analysis to complex group dynamics. It enables real-time data collection and analysis, offering insights into how AI agents influence human decisions and interactions. This research contributes to the development of socially intelligent AI systems, providing a versatile tool for exploring human-AI collaboration across diverse contexts, including education, healthcare, and workplace environments.

2.

ConsonâncIA

The main visuals of the individual generative experience created after bot interaction and user selection.

A visual representation of users’ distribution by type of pain experienced, using body tracking for interaction.

ConsonâncIA is an immersive installation that explores the intersection of machine intelligence and human expression. It challenges visitors to reflect on how machines might interpret and respond to human emotions—particularly pain and collective hurt. Through personal interactions with the machine, participants witness a visual representation of how it perceives their experiences and relationships with others. The installation offers a dynamic, evolving journey, inviting deeper exploration and connection with the machine’s growing understanding of both individual and shared emotions.

The third edition of Metamersion: Healing Algorithms invited the public to an immersive exhibition—both physical and virtual—exploring the intersection of art, science, and technology. Held at the Champalimaud Foundation, the event showcased prototype experiences and artworks inspired by research from the Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, integrating generative AI and computational neuroscience. The program featured dance performances, roundtable discussions, and multimedia concerts, offering a rich, multidimensional experience designed to deepen understanding of the human mind and body, while shaping the future of healthcare experiences.

3.

TTT at POGO

A stage designed for the session, with the moderator and guest surrounded by 3D modeling processes in the background—created using Unity and Blender.

The session was held during the ongoing art exhibition Post Seinfeld.

TTT is a series of events by Răzvan Sândru, Zach Mainen, and Filipe Mendes, in collaboration with POGO, that explores and documents reality through a multidisciplinary lens. The series fosters dialogue about the nature of reality by focusing on specific, tangible subjects. Each session features guests from diverse fields who share their ontological perspectives, while artist Filipe Mendes transforms these conversations into virtual objects. These digital creations will form a publicly accessible exhibition at the conclusion of the series.

The first session, hosted by philosopher Răzvan Sândru, featured Zach Mainen, head of the Systems Neuroscience Lab at the Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown. With a background in both neuroscience and philosophy, Mainen has explored subjects ranging from the role of neuromodulators like serotonin to the nature of free will and the fabric of reality. He initiated the TTT project to foster a situational, non-reductionist understanding of reality.

4.

Post Seinfeld

Program note. Post Seinfeld.

Post Seinfeld is an immersive, multidisciplinary event inspired by the iconic ’90s sitcom. This unique experience blends theater, stand-up comedy, video installations, sculpture, virtual reality, and more to explore the intersection of artificial intelligence, human expression, and the evolution of comedy. Through a meta-performance, Seinfeld and his friends are brought to life once again, inviting audiences to reflect on themes of identity, human connection, and the nature of art and humor. Thought-provoking and interactive, the experience challenges perceptions and offers a fresh way to engage with both the past and future of entertainment and technology.

For this show, a thoughtful collective reflection on each of the physical and performance installations was undertaken to build a virtual reality experience, allowing users to revisit the iconic Seinfeld studio—with a narrative twist. Set in an unknown timeline, the studio holds more than meets the eye. The apartment now features more rooms than were ever shown in the series, revealing hidden layers and references to Post Seinfeld, all guided by the consciousness of Jerry Seinfeld himself.

5.

Human Park

Live video support for the performance at the bar.

The writing machine performed an ERROR sequence during the exhibition, becoming a live element of the artwork itself.

A BAR is just a bar, and that's it. But for those who want to experience an exhibition, a happening, a live act, or even take a stroll through virtual realities, that's fine. Here, in this space and this bar that is neither of the future nor without it, everyone can be both the actors and the spectators at the same time. Let's rise above the space and hover over it, in a moment of contemplation and speculation.

Inspired by the concept of Human Park and drawing from the dystopian visions of timelines reminiscent of Blade Runner, this project takes you into a space where reality and virtuality converge. Imagine a bar that exists not only in the physical world but in digital realms, an AI-powered space where interaction is fluid and where the future seems not just possible, but inevitable. Inspired by the themes of artificial intelligence, consciousness, and the boundaries between human and machine, the exhibition invites you to explore what it means to be both human and synthetic in a world where the lines are increasingly blurred. As you step into the experience, the timeline becomes distorted, just as in the cyberpunk world of Blade Runner.

The future is not a distant concept but an immediate presence, alive within the walls of the space, where virtual and physical realities intertwine. This is a bar like no other—one where you can interact with AI, traverse between worlds, and confront questions of identity, technology, and humanity itself. Here, you are invited to question the essence of what it means to truly "be" in a world shaped by the digital and the real. A place where everyone is both the creator and the observer, and where every moment offers a chance to ascend, to transcend, and to speculate on what’s next in this ever-evolving future.

A wall-plotter writing machine, a short film, and a performative bar installation—these were the pieces created for the show. The first was inspired by the idea of the machine as an embodiment of an AI entity. It recorded the emotional manifestations of this entity over the course of several months, with each 'episode' expressing a different emotion through writing. The short film was shot during a nearby local fair, blending virtual and physical spaces into a surreal, hybrid narrative. The final piece—a performative bar installation—featured a screen that showed your image only if the algorithm approved you to be served. Its criteria? Whether or not you had a face mask with you. In either case, chances were you wouldn’t be served at all—unless you could convince the human bartender to ignore the AI’s rules and pour you a well-deserved beer.

6.

Stories to read on Sofas

3D scan of the chair created by Miguel Cardinho for the exhibition’s VR installation.

A detail (on the left) of the three part installation made for this show.

Stories to Read on Sofas is an immersive exhibition that blends the digital and the physical, inviting visitors to experience a unique, dynamic space where technology, humor, and existential questioning converge. The exhibition playfully challenges perceptions of reality through tech-driven art, exploring themes of virtuality, identity, and the human condition in a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence. With elements of surrealism and defiance, the exhibition introduces an alternative universe, where reality feels fluid, almost like a Matrix-like experience. Visitors are immersed in a world where lab rats are filmed, birds blossom, and metaphysical moments unfold. The exhibition encourages a break from conventional thinking, offering a space to reflect on the nature of technology, human life, and the future.

As you engaged with Stories to Read on Sofas, you encountered poetic visuals, interactive moments, and stories that push the boundaries of imagination. This exhibition challenges us to question the meaning of being human in a world where everything, including our perceptions, is constantly evolving. It’s a playful exploration of what the future might hold, with a touch of nostalgia, humor, and a healthy dose of uncertainty.

Inspired by the short tale From the Window of My Room by Ruy Otero, I presented a three-part installation composed of a live window-drawing performance, several digital animations, and an immersive VR experience. In the final piece, visitors—after exploring the physical exhibition—could sit in a custom-made chair by artist Miguel Cardinho and virtually revisit the show within a distant future timeline. Through the VR headset, they could exit the room’s window and embark on a visually rich, dreamlike walkthrough beyond the bounds of the original space.

7.

Phantom of Liberty

Shot of 4 Hour long VR and acting performance with Eduardo Vanzeller.

The performance setup at ZOO, Caldas da Rainha.

Phantom of Liberty is an immersive exhibition that reimagines a bar as both a physical and conceptual space, blending multidisciplinary art forms like ceramics, jewelry, video, and drawing. Through these diverse mediums, the exhibition explores themes of reality, freedom, and human interaction with technology, all while evoking the spirit of Shakespearean spectacle and futuristic visions.

In this "bar," reality is fluid, coexisting with multiple dimensions and blurring the line between the possible and the impossible. Visitors are invited to contemplate the essence of existence in a space where time and space collide, where books levitate, and where the boundaries of the human and technological experience are questioned. The experience engages with the very idea of freedom as a ghost, challenging traditional perceptions through a mixture of art, philosophy, and humor. With an array of artifacts and installations, Phantom of Liberty becomes a stage where spectators become actors, questioning the nature of reality and identity in a world shaped by both the old and new.

Together with Eduardo Vanzeller, and in collaboration with designer Ricardo Tocha, a performance was created in which Eduardo was invited to delve into a visual mirroring VR loop—seeing himself, seeing himself, seeing himself. The performance lasted exactly four hours, and only four hours, as the actor became increasingly intoxicated by the existing reality. The two bottles of wine had little—or nothing—to do with it.

8.

Metamersion / 1st Edition

Polylith testing process at the Warehouse’s first Metamersion.

New Center for Digital Therapeutics at Champalimaud Foundation, Lisbon.

Metamersion is an immersive exhibition that explores the intersection of science, art, and health, blurring the lines between the physical and virtual worlds. It combines elements of a science museum, art gallery, and interactive technology exhibition to reveal new truths about human perception and behavior. The title "Metamersion" reflects the fusion of metamers (perceptually indistinguishable stimuli) and immersion (deep mental involvement), and highlights the potential of technologies like virtual reality, motion capture, and computer vision to unlock mysteries about how we perceive the world and make decisions.

Hosted at the Champalimaud Foundation in Lisbon, this exhibition also introduces a new program focused on integrating neuroscience research with human health. It aims to revolutionize medicine by combining behavioral neuroscience and cutting-edge technology to improve how we recover from injuries, age, and manage disease. Metamersion offers visitors a unique opportunity to engage with art and science in a way that stimulates both the senses and the mind, creating a space for reflection, inquiry, and innovation in healthcare.

9.

Metamersion / Hackathon

Cave system building process during the hackathon.

Invited researchers worked on developing a visual system to support the dancing interaction.

This hackathon marked the beginning of a collective exploration of immersion and the future of digital therapeutics. Several scientists, makers, and technology enthusiasts from the Champalimaud Foundation, MIT, Tübingen, and other institutions were invited to a week-long session in Lisbon.

The gathering resulted in the creation of a coordinated dancing cave system, along with a series of talks and debates on existing projects and future directions in these emerging fields.

10.

Metamersion / Latent Spaces

Wingy, the robot, showing the facial tracking and algorythmic performance during the show.

Trancripted example of public interaction.

Metamersion: Latent Spaces explores the deep connections between science, art, and technology through the concept of latent spaces. In machine learning, a latent space is a hidden representation of data, essential for AI functionality. Similarly, in our own minds, latent spaces hold our values, memories, and actions, awaiting activation or update. This exhibition invites visitors to explore how technology can reveal and improve these hidden aspects of human experience, with the potential to enhance health and treat diseases by understanding and manipulating these internal spaces.

Building on the Champalimaud Foundation's commitment to integrating perception and movement for research and rehabilitation, Metamersion: Latent Spaces creates a dynamic interplay between physical and digital worlds. It aims to merge scientific, artistic, and technological approaches, offering a vision of personalized public health that acknowledges the profound connection between mind and body. Through this immersive experience, we seek to empower individuals to better understand themselves and unlock new possibilities for health and well-being.

This was the first presentation of Wingy, the friendly winged robot—a power-efficient, embedded AI robotic device capable of human interaction through image and speech recognition, voice synthesis, and movement. These capabilities are enabled by the integration of multiple deep learning models.

Presented as an interactive installation, Wingy offered a glimpse into the latest advancements in AI technology and its potential applications in health and well-being. The robot was developed by the Hardware and Software Platform (PT), a multidisciplinary team at the Champalimaud Foundation that supports cutting-edge scientific and technological innovation. The team brings technical expertise across electronics, robotics, software, and mechanical engineering to design and develop new applications.

11.

Existing Together / CLN

Existing Together performative piece dedicated to João Mendes.

Set of the show during Caldas Late Night with Armazém 0.

A 72-hour-long live installation presented at Caldas Late Night 25, in Caldas da Rainha.

Part of the show, created in collaboration with Armazém 0—a collective design hosting studio—involved two people sitting together, simply existing together, in a 72-hour-long loop of 15-minute cycles. They spent this time watching a large 1.5m x 1.5m drawing of a solid shape being slowly rendered, line by line.

12.

Project 1 / IADE

Part of the experiment used an infrared camera to track facial expressions.

Physiological feedback, along with predicted emotions from facial expressions and interview data, defined a visual experience tailored for a single user.

An immersive, interactive experience that merges technology, emotion, and self-reflection. The project utilizes AI, biosignals, and facial expression analysis to create a personalized journey for users, guiding them through emotional states and exploring the interplay between physical and emotional responses.

The experience begins with an interview conducted by an AI system, gathering information from the user, which is then processed to generate visual prompts. These prompts are used to create AI-generated images representing a problem and its potential solution. Additionally, the system captures physiological signals, such as heartbeat and respiration, using BITalino sensors, which are then integrated into a generative audio experience. The user’s emotional state, derived from facial expressions and biofeedback, influences real-time music and visual elements, fostering a dynamic interaction between the user and the system.

Developed in collaboration with cutting-edge technologies like OpenSignals, Max/MSP, and TouchDesigner, it provides an experimental environment where emotion, technology, and visual storytelling converge, offering a unique opportunity for personal introspection and exploration.

13.

SOTW / VR

Occlusion mapping of a photogrammetry scan made from a child’s sculpted ceramic piece.

Whale figurines placed in a naturalistic aquatic environment.

A two-day social activity as part of the Science on the Walls initiative, founded by researchers from the Champalimaud Research Center. The program brings together science-related professionals to lead science and technology workshops with children from the Portuguese neighborhood of Cova da Moura, in Lisbon.

After a ceramic sculpture workshop with children aged 8 to 14, a photogrammetry scan was made of each sculpted piece. These digital replicas were later placed in a playful VR environment, where the children were challenged to find and interact with their own creations.

14.

Rasto Magazine

A layout map and typography testing process for the main body content of RASTO magazine.

Different colors, tools, and support materials were tested to explore visual possibilities and production techniques.

A prototype for a local art magazine that brought together the aesthetic perspectives and mediums of different artists.

This magazine was produced using a home-built pen plotter machine, with various supports and markers tested to achieve the final result. It was created in collaboration with Marta Alves and Miguel Cardinho.

15.

PDB 2020 / Young Curators LAB

Shot of the final exhibition Ethics Committee of Dark Conservation, at Porto Design Biennale 2020.

Quinta de Santiago Palace, located in Leça da Palmeira, Matosinhos, Porto.

Key contemporary thinkers, curators and designers were invited to lead four workshops each taking the form of a fictional institution - an archive, an assembly, a committee and a school. Each institution generated a working group. Using tools such as speculative design, Afro-surrealism, critical fabulations and re-edited pedagogies, was explored the potential of fiction as a tool for social change. This process generated four installations, open to the public as a collective exhibition.

In the workshop Ethics Committee of Dark Conservation, lead by Dani Admiss and Gillian Russel, the participants where invited to select a neglected object and defend it on why they should belong to the committee of dark conservation. The object chosen was the British National (Overseas)Passport, BN(O), and the participants were invited to create a conservation report for the passport, each one based in a alternative speculative world, like an Indigenous world, a Multiverse world, or a More than Human world.

16.

Paradisæa / LUX Frágil

Final shot of Paradisæa, where single-threaded nylon strings were stretched from one side to the other, creating floating shelves for artworks.

Three full warehouses filled with sand were used for the show, and visitors were advised to take off their shoes at the start of the visit.

Paradisæa was an homage exhibition designed by Fernando Brízio, created to commemorate the 20th anniversary of one of Lisbon’s most iconic clubs, Lux Frágil. The club's history is deeply intertwined with the early 21st-century evolution of Portuguese design, making it a fitting subject for reflection and celebration.

A group of design students was invited to participate in the construction of the exhibition, with the goal of encouraging hands-on problem solving during the building process—one of the main reasons I include this project here. The entire exhibition design was conceived by Fernando Brízio and curated by Carla Cardoso.

17.

Terra da Fonte / Residency Programme

Dancers were invited to interact—either individually or in groups—with a live video generation projected on screen.

Body silhouettes and live prompts were used as inspiration to guide the image generation process.

A workshop session held as part of the TERRA residency program, funded by the European Union and the Goethe-Institut, at Terra da Fonte.

Using the body as a mediator in image-to-image generation, several dancers were invited to interact with visuals created specifically for the performance. Together, the group developed a set of techniques that resulted in a live video performance blending visuals and sound. Stream diffusion methods with image generation models were used, all integrated through TouchDesigner and accompanied by live musical instruments.

18.

TBA / Foyer

Proposed stuffed toy design by Ana Rita António, included as part of the overall design proposal.

Gym-inspired furniture, here, the rings function as lamps for the public room.

The digital proposal for the redesign of the foyer space at Teatro do Bairro Alto, created for designer Ana Rita António.

Following the designer’s concept, this collection presents the result of reimagining the foyer space of the theater, incorporating gymnasium-inspired motifs and furniture. A fresh and unconventional approach to the theme was proposed. This design won the open call and is currently the space in use.

19.

Virtual Enviorment 1

The main render highlights the fallen textile piece.

Rendering process.

An initial exploration of rendering techniques for natural and textile materials.

Topics such as light, reflections, and the contrast between soft and hard textures were the focus of this exercise. This exploration proved essential for later commercial projects developed for the company CASALIS in Belgium. The work was created using Autodesk 3ds Max and rendered with V-Ray.

20.

Virtual Enviornment 2

Final render of the room.

Exterior light detail.

A simple virtual set home design.

This exercise followed simpler goals, such as furniture placement and light arrangement in domestic spaces. It was created using Autodesk 3ds Max and rendered with V-Ray.

21.

Virtual Enviornment 3

Photo for the textile product campaign for CASALIS.

Focus on furniture and textile design.

From the collection, this was the only purely commercial project, created for CASALIS in Belgium.

Focusing on the presentation of the acoustic panels produced by the company, this exercise highlights their relationship with space and other textile products. The panels were designed using SolidWorks, while the environment and rendering were created with Autodesk 3ds Max and V-Ray .

22.

Holoceno

A plastic material was used as a displacement height map to represent the surface of a planet for the show.

An virtual moving eye.

Animations created for the collective exhibition in Santarém, exploring the future of plastic use and its relationship with humanity.

These animations were later projected onto a plastic structure in the city center, built from giant blocks made of recycled plastic. All animations were created using Autodesk 3ds Max.

23.

Project SECLA Pt1

Final collection of ceramics created using waste from the ceramic industry.

Detail of a ceramic bowl from the same collection

Made in Caldas da Rainha, Portugal—a city designated as a UNESCO Creative City in 2019 and renowned for its ceramic tradition and craftsmanship—this two-part project focuses on SECLA (1947–2008), one of the city’s most significant ceramic companies. Caldas is home to a rich ecosystem of small studios, independent designers, and major manufacturers such as SECLA and the Bordallo Pinheiro Ceramics Factory. SECLA’s closure following the 2008 financial crisis marked the end of a major industrial era that had shaped several generations in the city. After its shutdown, two of the factory’s three buildings were demolished, along with the resources and infrastructure that had once defined it.

The project aims to draw attention to the issue of industrial waste—specifically, the vast collection of thousands of old ceramic molds once used by the factory. Many of these discarded molds remain intact and represent a significant loss of cultural and industrial heritage. By spotlighting this overlooked form of waste, the project underscores the importance of sustainable practices in preserving and repurposing materials with historical and artistic value.

In the first part of the project, fragments from both destroyed and intact factory molds are used. These plaster remnants encase the original molds, replacing traditional formwork with a more random and organic structure—preserving, in material form, the memory of the factory’s craftsmanship.

24.

Project SECLA Pt2

Result of the first video performance, in which old factory molds were piled together and later filled with liquid clay.

The outcome is a final piece that preserves the contours of all the molds, merging their forms into a single sculptural object.

The second part of the project was developed through several performance videos, made at SECLA's premises, which illustrate the filling of molds in faience (technique practiced by the workers), but in this case of unconventional molds.

Whole molds on the factory premises were overlapped to create the necessary formwork for liquid filling, and each of the resulting pieces illustrate details of old factory's productions, such as the silhouette of a serving jug that forms one side of the piece, or the model space of a cup mold, which when used as a wall, disturbs what would be a flat surface.

25.

Analog Printing Pt1

A final piece created through an analog printing process powered entirely by hand.

Layers of red clay are deposited on top of each other to create a cylindrical final shape, similar to 3D printing.

This method offers an alternative to traditional pottery techniques, drawing inspiration from plastic extrusion 3D printing. However, it replaces all electrical and electronic components with a minimal set of manual technologies required to print ceramic material.

The system consists of an extruder that pushes prepared clay into a reservoir, which then passes through an extrusion nozzle onto a rotating base. This base is connected to a threaded rod that, through manual operation, both rotates and gradually lowers.As the clay is deposited, the circular motion and downward movement force the layers to stack, forming a cylindrical shape as the final result.

26.

Analog Printing Pt2

The ceramic printing mechanism was adapted to harness wind power, integrating it into the structure of the abandoned windmill.

Manual power was replaced by a rope-powered syringe mechanism that extrudes ceramic in a similar manner. Various extruders were tested throughout the process.

This project followed the same principles of analog printing, but in this case, the printing mechanism was tested in a larger environment. The manual operation used previously was replaced by an automated power source, allowing for greater scale and consistency in the process.

The setting was a 19th-century abandoned windmill, which became the backdrop for a collective exercise centered around a former site of production. The project explored sustainable production methods and the role of self-sufficient, home-based manufacturing practices.

27.

Glassblow Serie

Glassblowing series created using industrial waste at CENCAL, Marinha Grande.

All the pieces are handmade using glass sourced from waste provided by surrounding factories.

This collection began after three months of studying the glassmaking process at CENCAL in Marinha Grande. The learning covered every stage of production—from understanding glass composition to shaping and structuring it through temperature curing.

Industrial and construction metal waste was used to mold blown glass pieces. The collection features rolled metal grids filled with masses of blown glass, creating a fusion of raw, structural materials and delicate craftsmanship.

28.

Aluminium Craft

The material was mainly cast using sandboxes with pressed molds, allowing for detailed impressions and textured surfaces.

A wide range of shapes and processes was explored.

The sessions utilized a wide variety of materials—including sand, rocks, clay, and glass—leaving the selection up to the creativity of each participant.

In recent years, together with the studio Armazém 0, multiple artists and designers have been invited to participate in several aluminum melting sessions held at the studio.

29.

CF / Hardware Development

One of hundreds of small devices or mechanisms built over the past five years.

Beyond 3D modeling, areas such as animation are also part of the work developed by the Hardware and Software Platform at the Champalimaud Research Center.

Five years as a hardware developer at the Champalimaud Research Center for neuroscience and cancer research are reflected in a small collection of public files. Some of the most commonly explored topics include 3D modeling, rendering, animation, rapid prototyping, and 3D printing.

In response to quick support requests from the research community, where full behavior setups or rapid mechanical solutions are common. Also inclueded is the robot design made in 2023, originally created as a company machine, this design was later integrated into a VR experience that users can interact with virtually. Animations of its behavior, created using the open-source software Blender, are presented below.

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Work Index

Filipe Paula Mendes