In her book *The Invention of Modern Science* (1993), philosopher Isabelle Stengers characterizes what we now know as modern science through what she calls the "Galileo event" (17th century)—a contingent yet crucial occurrence marked by the creation of the famous theoretical-experimental method. This method is structured around a presumed total separation between the observing subject and the observed object; indeed, the more efficient this separation between the constituent parts, the more "real" the resulting answer becomes. Its application yields a mutual interplay between theory and observation that often triggers complete theoretical reformulations, which in turn point toward—often unprecedented—paths in the evolution of scientific thought.
For both the history of science and the realm of the imagination, this event—as philosopher Bruno Latour notes—represented the "opening of a window onto the infinite universe," effectively staging the opening up of the world from that moment forward. In light of Latour’s proposition, the question facing us today is how we might return to Earth—to a world where the consequences of such expansion have now become harmful.
Given this current landscape, the seminar aims to explore the scientific, political, and artistic echoes of the legacy left by astronomer and scientist Galileo Galilei. It seeks to examine the diverse ways in which the relationship between beings and the world unfolds across various practices of knowledge, thereby testing the consequences of the act of raising and lowering one’s eyes in the process of thinking. Program
10:30 AM – 11:30 AM: Opening: Bruno Siniscalchi, Maria Borba, and Marília Garcia
11:30 AM – 1:00 PM: Panel: Renato Sztutman and Luciano Elia
1:00 PM – 2:30 PM: Lunch
2:30 PM – 4:00 PM: Panel: Tânia Stolze Lima and João Rivelino Barreto
4:00 PM – 4:30 PM: Coffee break
4:30 PM – 6:00 PM: Debate
Panel Participants
With Bruno Siniscalchi, psychoanalyst and artist. He works in clinical, artistic, and curatorial practices. Co-author of *É de raça que estamos falando: Tornar-se herdeiro da psicanálise no Brasil* (7Letras, 2024). Member of the *Espaço Brasileiro de Estudos Psicanalíticos* and the clinical group at the *Instituto de Estudos da Complexidade*.
With Maria Borba, artist and researcher. Holds a PhD in Literature, Culture, and Contemporaneity from PUC-Rio and a Master’s degree in Cosmology and Gravitation from the Brazilian Center for Research in Physics (ICRA/CBPF). She works on the relationship between scientific thought and other areas of knowledge and is a co-founder of the *Instituto Comum*.
With Marília Garcia, poet and researcher at the Casa de Rui Barbosa Foundation. She has published several books, most notably *Expedição: nebulosa* (Companhia das Letras, 2023) and *Pensar com as mãos* (Martins Fontes, 2025).
With Renato Sztutman, professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of São Paulo (USP). He currently coordinates the Center for Amerindian Studies (CEstA-USP).
With Luciano Elia, psychoanalyst, member of *Laço Analítico/Escola de Psicanálise*, and full professor of Psychoanalysis at UERJ (State University of Rio de Janeiro), affiliated with the Professional Master’s Program in Psychoanalysis and Public Policy. Author of the books *The Science of Psychoanalysis: Methodology and Principles* and *The Concept of the Subject*, among others.
With Tânia Stolze Lima, anthropologist and Professor at the Federal Fluminense University. Author of the book *A Fish Looked at Me: The Yudja People and Perspective*.
With Rivelino Barreto – Yúpuri. Ethnicity: Tukano; sib: Yúpuri Sararó. Village: São Domingos Sávio, Tiquié River, Municipality of São Gabriel da Cachoeira (Amazonas). He holds a degree in Philosophy (FSDB-Manaus) and a Master’s (UFAM) and PhD (UFSC) in Social Anthropology. He is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Anthropology at the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC).
Registration opens on August 27 at 2:00 PM via the Sesc Research and Training Center website or the Sesc SP Credential app. Registration is not possible after the activity has begun. Registration is personal and non-transferable.
Registration link: https://www.sescsp.org.br/programacao/levantar-e-abaixar-os-olhos/