The ARTIS - Institute of Art History (ARTIS-IHA) is a R&D unit funded by the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia / FCT Portugal (UID/EAT/04189/2019), dedicated to research and training in Art History and Heritage Studies, whose driving force is researchers and ideas.

Characterized by its groundbreaking research activities and methods, in areas of knowledge that are unique in Portugal, ARTIS is organized in six hubs: Architectural History (particularly the Late Gothic period), Portuguese azulejos, contemporary art studies (with an emphasis on video art), decorative arts, the history of art collecting and art markets, and intercultural heritage. With a team of 29 integrated researchers and 40 doctoral students, it also relies on the collaboration of various professionals, external researchers and students from different cycles. It is characterised by a commitment to postgraduate training, networking - through interdisciplinary partnerships with institutions and companies - and a commitment to scientific dialogue and the dissemination of knowledge, both nationally and internationally.

ARTIS main scientific domain is Art History, understood as an autonomous subject, albeit open to articulation with other areas of knowledge. This field is conceived as a vast area of expertise focused on the study of artistic works and Heritage throughout history, and on the retrieval of their accumulated memories and aesthetic meanings.

Today, ARTIS-IHA is a privileged research unit within the field of Art History. It hosts the Az Infinitum, the only existing Portuguese indexation system focused on azulejos, along with a new tool for studying art collections - ORION. The unit is hereby able to provide its researchers and students with useful methodological tools for organizing and improving their work, as well as sharing its results in open access.Operating in the field of Art History and Heritage Studies, ARTIS develops in-depth research in areas of knowledge that are unique in Portugal, providing high-quality training, contributing extensively to society and occupying a significant and distinctive niche in the Portuguese academic and scientific landscape.

The current six hubs in which ARTIS is organized are the expression of a well-defined strategy, committed to deepening knowledge and promoting the contextualisation of Portuguese Art and Cultural Heritage on a global scale. This strategy takes into account the material, aesthetic and socio-political dimensions of each form of art, as well as  the current challenges posed by climate change, political and social conflicts, mass tourism and so forth. Nowadays, Art History matters, and ARTIS wants to make a positive contribution to these challenging times.