The Research Unit VICARTE – Vidro e Cerâmica para as Artes (Glass and Ceramic for the Arts, director Márcia Vilarigues) is devoted to the promotion of trans-disciplinary research applied to glass and ceramics, focusing on the intersections between art and science, and stimulating the sharing of knowledge, experiences and methodologies between these two areas. The research at VICARTE connects the present and the past, by developing new materials for glass and ceramics contemporary art, by studying the traditional and historical production practices and the exploration of different aesthetical concepts in art.