Articles
FRANCISCO TRÊPA
The sculptures that francisco trêpa's rampant imagination produces veer between the impenetrable and the magnetic, the terrifying and beautiful. That’s the point, according to the sculptor.
MÓNICA DE MIRANDA
Portuguese with angolan roots, the visual artist mónica de miranda’s work summons nature as a “living archive”, as well as a variety of literary references, to ask one question: who can tell us the story?
THE PORTUGUESE SIBYL
She lived nine human lives, each lasting 110 years. Nigh on a thousand years. Virgil, Ovid and Petronius sang about her. Botticelli and Raphael, among many others, painted her. Michelangelo found space for her on the Sistine Chapel ceiling, alongside two angels and two prophetic books.
Kukas
The Tagus River is clad in silver this afternoon, as Lisbon parades past Kukas’s window. She’s no longer the girl she was when she arrived in the Castelo neighbourhood, the capital’s oldest. This is where the local women laid out their dripping clothes on the pavement, while whispering that she must be a tourist.
Patek Philippe
If we look at the rankings, Patek Philippe is placed fourth or fifth among the big watchmaking brands. That said, if you talk to collectors or keep an eye on the major auction houses, there's no doubt who comes first. From humble beginnings to worldwide respect, this is the story of a fascinating brand.
Tales & Tiles
It is a fable, amongst animals. Firstly, the ravens of Lisbon. Legend or fable has it that some ravens plucked the eyes of the Roman executioners who, in the year 304, tortured to death the pious deacon Vincent, of the Saragossa bishopric. Leaving the corpse to the mercy of beasts and birds of prey, an angel protected the body.
Isay Weinfeld
Isay Weinfeld’s status as one of the most important and influential names in contemporary Brazilian architecture is indisputable. This is nothing new; those looking for proof can peruse the roll of awards and honours acquired over a career spanning over four and a half decades. His architectural presence around the world reflect his eclecticism, thoroughness and the open and pragmatic way he approaches his projects: “Each case is unique” could well be his motto.
In The Land Of Camellias
The delicate metal structure still awaits its walls and roof. It consists only of the lines that shape its contours, standing discreetly among the lush green of the farm in Fornelo, northern Portugal. For the moment, it's just a bare skeleton of a Japanese-style tea house to be, where visitors can taste tea made from plants grown next door, not to mention the chance to understand the infinite subtleties of this drink, in a world made up of art and nature.
Benjamin Weil - On the new CAM
Priority is given to being an art centre.
They could have called it the Museum of Modern Art, or the Museum of Contemporary Art or the Centre for Contemporary Art, but they decided to call it Centro de Arte Moderna (CAM). This brings things that aren’t necessarily compatible, but are part of the institution’s DNA, which aims to function as a Kunsthalle.
João Louro - The appropriation of language
Very early on, I realised that there were two fundamental things. The first was not belonging to “Pavlov’s pack”, and the second was being free. Also being as free as possible, even before I knew what it meant to be an artist. I only realised later that the closest to freedom involved being an artist, a pursuit that was also the most expressive.
Subsistences Of The Flâneur
The flâneur is a solitary strollere who wanders the city’s streets, guided only by his great curiosity. Idealised by literary greats such as Baudelaire and Walter Benjamin, as well as immortalised n Gustave Caillebotte’s impressionist paintings, this reader of cities, ever aware of the most subtle of matters, deciphered the modern city by imbibing it with an unhurriedness lent by his standing.
An Alentejo Elephant
Such is Portugal: in the heart of the Alentejo countryside, near Montemor-o-Novo, stands a church. Seen from the outside it is unremarkable, a small chapel with nothing to distinguish it (perhaps that is where its charm rests, being discreet and simple, as plain as it is sound).
How Smart Are We?
Cities and destinations are trying to be smarter, which means more efficient, faster, even more perfect for both visitors and residents. Are we on the right track? Or are we fuelling a utopia? And is technology an ally or an invader? Three experts give us their opinion.
The Language of Clay
In the town of Estremoz, generations of clay artists have been crafting their unique figures since the 17th century, telling a story of devotion, of Man’s relationship with nature and different ways of life. Let them be heard.
Fondation D’Entreprise Hermès
With nine programmes under its belt and 900 projects led since its creation, the Fondation d'entreprise Hermès shares knowledge, builds bridges, supports the arts and artists, protects the environment and encourages solidarity worldwide.
Rui Chafes
Rui Chafes (b. 1966) calls the place where he spends his time reading, drawing, moulding iron, thinking and sometimes writing a sanctuary. It's found in the house where he grew up, by the sea, far from the noise of Lisbon, where he normally resides…
The Art of The Mad - Treger Saint Silvestre
Richard Treger and António Saint Silvestre collect artworks that convey dream worlds and impossible realities. It’s called Art Brut (aka Outsider Art) and it brings together those artists who move on the fringes of society, transforming difficult existences into objects that transmit their most instinctive and primitive side. A remarkable journey into the human mind.
The Art of Curiosity
Towards the end of the 18th century, the Marquis of Pombal sent naturalists on philosophical expeditions to the New World, where they visited Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde and Brazil. These studies were founded on the meticulous drawings of fauna, flora, people, and landscapes made during these trips, 1,200 of which make up a collection of illustrations currently housed at the Museu de História Natural (Natural History Museum)…