Exhibition “A Resistant Poetics”

On May 17, at 4 PM, the Portimão Museum celebrates its 18th anniversary with the inauguration of the exhibition “A Resistant Poetics,” an initiative resulting from a cultural partnership with the Museum of Neo-Realism. This exhibition, curated by David Santos, scientific director of that institution, brings together about 60 works of painting, drawing, engraving, and photography, offering a deep look at the collection of the Museum of Neo-Realism and one of the most significant movements in the history of art in Portugal.

Integrated into the museum's anniversary celebrations, the exhibition highlights essential names in our art, including local artists Margarida Tengarrinha and Querubim Lapa, alongside figures such as José Dias Coelho, Júlio Pomar, Maria Barreira, Rogério Ribeiro, Alice Jorge, Júlio Resende, Sá Nogueira, Cipriano Dourado, Jorge de Almeida Monteiro, and João Hogan, among many others. Through the talent of these authors, the public is invited to travel through the neorealist movement that, between the mid-1930s and the late 1950s, asserted itself as an active voice against the oppression of the Estado Novo.

“A Resistant Poetics” aims to expose the social reality of a country marked by poverty, advocating for a humanism believing in transformation and the power of art as a tool of hope for the most disadvantaged. Moving away from figures of authority and the aesthetic canons imposed by the dictatorial regimes of the time, the collection of works gathered here stands as a declaration of love for the people, denouncing difficulties and suffering while never neglecting a lyrical attention to the customs, desires, and ambitions of those who dreamed of a better world.

The exhibition can be visited at the Portimão Museum on Tuesdays, between 2:30 PM and 6 PM, and from Wednesday to Sunday, from 10 AM to 6 PM. It is a unique opportunity to celebrate the 18 years of this museum institution through a journey through memory and national artistic resistance.