The museum is properly equipped to keep visitors safe, adhering to regulations in place as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Visitors are required to wear a face mask.
This exhibition contains various plastic objects that have left their mark on the daily lives of the Portuguese population and people all over the world, throughout history. Examples include a toy lorry, a basket, a citrus juicer, a pair of sandals, a telephone and a three-plug extension lead.
Also on display are works created by artists and contemporary designers who work with plastic, some of which are from Leiria, as well as videos with testimonials from founders, owners and workers of the plastics processing industry.
The event also includes a diverse cultural programme, which will be running alongside the exhibition, involving various scientific, artistic, environmental and economic stakeholders in the plastics industry.
One of the main objectives of the event is to explore the scientific nature of the material and the evolution of a sector with such a high economic and corporate impact on the region of Leiria.
The influence plastic has had in Portuguese society can not only be witnessed in everyday life but also in the development seen in the mould, glass and electrical industries, with the employment generated as a result of the material, especially in this region.
When it comes to talking about plastic, however, its environmental impact cannot be ignored, and it has certainly not been forgotten in the exhibition.
The aim of the “Plasticity – A History of Plastic in Portugal” exhibition is to recognise the omnipresence of plastic and its diverse forms, while also shining a light on the need to integrate it into a more efficient, sustainable and extended life cycle, therefore contributing to the debate surrounding using and reusing plastics.
The objects exhibited were obtained through an identification, inventory, selection and study campaign, within which it was possible to gather historical pieces from individuals, companies, museums and research centres.
In addition to objects, the exhibition is also made up of photographs, documents and recordings of memories of workers within the Plastics sector.
The exhibition has strong links to Leiria and the region on various levels, from historical and emotional to economic and corporate, as it was right here that some of the first manufacturing industries were founded.
“Plasticity” is part of “The Triumph of Bakelite: contributions to a history of plastics in Portugal” project carried out by the Interuniversity Centre for the History of Science and Technology of the University of Lisbon Faculty of Science.
For information on opening times and tickets, visit the Leiria Museum page.