Gulbenkian Modern Art Center Launches New Exhibition on Place
The exhibition explores contemporary Portuguese art through the lens of spatial concepts.
1Curating the Concept of Place
The Centro de Arte Moderna in Lisbon unveils 'Lugares que se desenham', a new exhibition centered on the concept of place. Curated by Sérgio Mah and Leonor Nazaré, the show draws from a vast collection of 12,000 works, featuring over one hundred pieces that span more than half a century of Portuguese contemporary art.
2Unseen Works Finally Revealed
This exhibition serves as a platform to display significant artworks that have remained in storage for years or have never been shown to the public before. By utilizing the foundation's own archives, the curators aim to generate new knowledge and perceptions regarding the evolution of artistic production in Portugal since the 1950s.
3Diverse Artistic Mediums Included
The exhibition features a wide array of mediums, including painting, sculpture, video, photography, and drawing. These works represent a broad spectrum of creative expression, highlighting how different artists have interpreted the idea of place through their specific technical approaches since the mid-twentieth century to the present day in the Portuguese art scene.
4Generational Artistic Dialogue
The selection includes iconic figures like Almada Negreiros, Vieira da Silva, and Lourdes Castro alongside established contemporary artists such as António Bolota and Cecília Costa. This multi-generational approach allows the curators to bridge the gap between historical masters and younger talents, creating a comprehensive narrative of the contemporary Portuguese artistic identity.
5Specific Works and Installations
Notable pieces include Julião Sarmento’s 1992 installation 'Amazônia', a precarious wooden house on red sand, and Alberto Carneiro’s wicker sculptures. Additionally, Susana Gaudêncio’s 2009 series captures the movement of crowds in cities like Sarajevo, Buenos Aires, and Berlin, using graphite drawings layered over large-scale photographs to emphasize the human connection to urban spaces.
6Director's Vision for Engagement
Sérgio Mah, who became the director of the CAM in May, views this project as a unique opportunity to explore the institution's reserves. His goal is to challenge visitor expectations, aiming for an experience that leaves the audience transformed after engaging with the curated narrative of the collection's diverse and historical artistic works.
7Long-term Exhibition Schedule
The exhibition, titled 'Lugares que se desenham – Uma topologia a partir da coleção do CAM', is scheduled to remain open to the public until March 29, 2027. This extended duration provides ample time for visitors to engage with the thematic exploration of place within the context of the Gulbenkian's extensive contemporary art holdings.
8Institutional Significance and Impact
By focusing on the concept of place, the exhibition reinforces the role of the Gulbenkian Foundation in preserving and interpreting Portuguese cultural heritage. It highlights the importance of institutional collections in shaping public perception of art, while simultaneously providing a platform for critical discourse on the intersection of geography and artistic expression.
Original article: Notícias ao Minuto — Gulbenkian Modern Art Center Launches New Exhibition on Place