Representações da Arquitetura "Indo-Portuguesa". Mário T. Chicó, Goa, 1951-1961

Abstract

The present dissertation draws primarily on a selection of material resulting from the expedition carried out by the Study Brigade for the Monuments of Portuguese India, drawn from the archive of Mário T. Chicó. The subject of study encompasses the findings of research into the art and architecture of the Portuguese-occupied territories in India, following the 1951 initiative and continuing until 1961. The collection belonging to the art historian is part of the Mário Soares and Maria Barroso Foundation in Lisbon, under the name 'Mário and Alice Chicó Collection'. The body of archival material comprises a vast quantity and variety of documents, differing in both format and content. This research begins with the selection and cataloguing of material relating to the expedition to India. Building on a broad analysis of the collection as a whole, the study then turns the attention to the iconographic documentation resulting from the photographic survey carried out as part of the expedition. The investigation delves deeper into the study of four representative examples, analysing them primarily through the photographic record, in direct contrast to the textual essays produced and published. This selection relates to a greater emphasis within the line of thought proposed by the expedition on the body of Christian religious architecture in Goa, with a view to understanding architectural forms in the Indian state. By contrast, other non-representative examples are considered, associated with less significant reference value. The photographic documentation reflects a working methodology widely employed by Chicó in the development of research projects. Building on this argument, the study examines the remaining archival material, as well as evidence and information that enable connections to be drawn with various aspects of the subject matter and the approach employed. A supplementary analysis of the photographic record is undertaken, both as an archival document and as the result of the work of a group of individuals specialising in different fields of knowledge. A reflection is proposed on the question of authorship, in terms of both individual and/or collective value. Ultimately, the discussion turns to the construction of a theory linked to the complex of buildings representative of Portuguese-origin architecture in India, during and following the expedition, and to the documentation produced, in parallel with the surrounding context. The investigation proposes a comparison with the subsequent development of the study of history and architecture, which critiques the position taken regarding a conception of architecture in the areas in India under Portuguese occupation.