Hubert Marot was born in Château-Thierry , France in 1986. He studied photography at Les Gobelins of Paris (2009). His studio is located in Asnière-sur-Seine, a suburban neighbourhood in the north of Paris, in a building called La Sira. The building has housed Hubert's studio since February 2015 and it is also where he presented "Mr. Vertigo", a two-man exhibition with Antoine Donzeaud in June 2015. 

Hubert's work has been exhibited internationally in solo and group exhibitions in galleries, institutions and art fairs such as La Friche Belle de Mai in Marseille (2013), YIA Art Fair in Paris (2013-15), The Camera Club of New York (2015), Art Brussels (2015), Arte Fiera in Bologna (2016). His work is in the permanent public collection of La BNF in Paris. This spring he will have a solo exhibition at the Until Then Galerie in Saint-Ouen.

Photography by  Alexis Raimbault.
Aujourd'hui Exclusive.

Hubert Marot - www.hubertmarot.com

After meeting us in Lisbon's oldest café, Martinho da Arcada (The historical meeting point of the likes of Fernando Pessoa and Almada Negreiros in the 20th century), Pedro Barateiro had the kindness to show us his studio in Lisbon, the city where he now lives and works. His former studio was at the now extinct Avenida da Liberdade 211, a building where not only he had his studio but also co-ran an exhibition space called . His current studio, given by Rua Madalena Project who formerly occupied the space, is now even more central than the former, situated in Lisbon's downtown neighbourhood of "Baixa", It's a big space that he now shares with a few artist friends. Like in the past, the studio will not only be the place for their studio practices and production, but it also has a lounge area and a project room that is planed to have it's own program in the near future.

The Portuguese artist was born in Almada in 1979 and his work has been widely exhibited around the world. Some highlights are his presence on the Berlin and Sidney biennales (2008), solo exhibitions at the Kunsthalle Lissabon, Lisbon (2010), Kunsthalle Basel, Switzerland (2010) and Museu Colecção Berardo, Lisbon (2015). His work is also present in some high profile public collections, like the Deustche Bank Collection, ARCO Foundation, Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, Fundação EDP and Museu Serralves. We want to thank Pedro for his studio's tour, hoping you’ll enjoy the pictures as much as we enjoyed the space and his company.

Aujourd'hui Exclusive.
Pedro Barateiro - 

Matt Mignanelli, born in Rhode Island in 1983, lives and works in New York City and is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design. His paintings have been widely exhibited throughout the United States and internationally with exhibitions at Richard Heller Gallery, Los Angeles, LUCE Gallery, Torino, SCAD Museum of Art, Savannah, Goss-Michael Foundation, Dallas, Quint Contemporary, San Diego, among others. His works will also be included in Face to Face: Selections from the Ernesto Esposito Collection at Palazzo Fruscione, Salerno.

His studio is located in Bushwick, a really industrial section of Brooklyn. This landscape consists of cinder block, diamond plate steel, roll down gates and corrugated metal buildings painted in basic colors: black, white, chrome, brick red and grey. There is vibrancy and work ethic in the neighborhood. Since architecture and environment play such a huge role in informing his work, Matt loves the utilitarian nature of it all. New York is a constant source of inspiration and there is the right energy around his studio for him to feed off. Check the pictures below and how they capture such a unique space.

Aujourd'hui exclusive.
Matt Mignanelli - www.mattmignanelli.com

Despite Intensions is John Divola's first solo exhibition in Portugal at Galeria Pedro Alfacinha, a gallery established in 2014 in Lisbon dedicated mainly to photography.  The exhibition is a new selection of nine diptychs produced in the mid- 1980’s that articulate recurrent ideas in his work over the last forty years — a fundamental commitment to photography and its idiosyncrasies through processes that transcend the limits of photographic techniques. Permeating his images with gesture and intent, Divola edges onto sculpture, performance and conceptual art, and evokes a staging that cuts across photography’s documental tradition.

Divola was born in Los Angeles in 1949 and received an MFA from the University of California, Los Angeles, in 1974. Since 1975 he has taught at numerous institutions including the California Institute of the Arts and, since 1988, he has been Professor of Art at the University of California, Riverside. Divola is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, four National Endowment for the Arts Fellowships and a California Arts Council Individual Artist Grant, among other awards. His work was featured in group shows at institutions like The Museum of Modern Art and the Whitney Museum, in New York, LACMA and MOCA, in Los Angeles, and the Centre Georges Pompidou, in Paris; and in solo shows at LAXART, in Los Angeles, and the Freiburg Kunstverein, among numerous others.

Photography and exclusive by Aujourd'hui.

John Divola - Despite Intensions
Galeria Pedro Alfacinha, September 24 - November 21
www.pedroalfacinha.pt

Belgium has already developed a cult following for its major museums and established galleries, but the country’s appetite for great contemporary art has left Brussels pretty crowded with unique venues and less traditional approaches to art presentations. Showing a support for young and emerging artists, as well as shared enthusiasm for the established and buzz worthy artists nowadays, the city has it all. With interesting venues, apartment exhibitions and former brewery’s all dedicated to the art world, Belgium's scene is definitely worth our visit.

ALMINE RECH

Being married to Picasso’s grandson brings even more glamour to Almine Rech’s gallery. Since the gallery’s first exhibition, a single piece by James Turrel, their goal has been to “go out there and do things for the artists”. Its clear that they want to showcase not just the artist's works, but also the strong individual characters they are. Being present in fairs such as Art Brussels and Frieze London and representing artists like Jeff Koons, Anselm Reyle, James Turrell, Julian Schnabel and David Ostrowski. Almine Rech is present in Brussels, but also in Paris and London.

Address: Rue de L'Abbaye Abdijstraat 20 - Website: www.alminerech.com

JEANROCH DARD

Galerie Jeanroch Dard is becoming a household name in the european art scene. After all, the gallery in Paris is a must-go stop for contemporary art. Just six years after its launch (2008), the gallery opened a second location in Brussels (2014). With several presences in the art fair circuit like Art Rotterdam, Art Brussels, Art Cologne and FIAC, its reaching an ever expanding audience. Its artist rooster is composed by artists such as Samuel François, Kasper Sonne, Oliver Kosta-Théfaine, Evan Roberts and Benoit Plateus.

Address: Rue de la Regence 67 - Address: www.jeanrochdard.com

GLADSTONE GALLERY

Gladstone opened in Brussels in 2008, after already having two spaces in New York City. According to Barbara Gladstone, the gallery owner, it’s a logical step to any American art entrepreneur who also shares strong ties with the European art scene. It does seem natural to be closer to both artists and collectors and Brussels was the perfect fit. Present in Fiac and Art Dubai, Gladstone allows a closer look into the works of Keith Haring, Sol Lewitt, Lucio Fontana, Dan Flavin and Donald Judd. It comes with an apartment where artists can stay while their exhibitions are in Brussels.

Address: Rue du Grand Cerf 12 - Website: www.gladstonegallery.com

MON CHÉRI

Parisian galleries Valentin Paris and Galerie Jeanroch Dard dediced to collaborate and opened a gallery in Brussels, which coincided with Art Brussels' opening. The gallery, named Mon Chéri, is housed in a 300m2 former industrial space and aims to create a neutral ground and new concept, as said by Phillipe Valentin, one of the gallery owners. Presenting shows by artists like David Douard, Jean-Baptiste Bernadet, Éric Mistretta and Kasper Sonne, the space creates a different dynamic among artists and curators. Their challenge is to offer the best of young contemporary art.

Address: Rue de la Regence 67 - Website: www.moncheri.co

MOT INTERNATIONAL

MOT International is a London based gallery founded by Chris Hammond in 2006. The gallery went to Belgium (2011) even before its leap from East London to Mayfair (2012). A household name when it comes to sounding artists, it represents artists such as Elizabeth Price, winner of the 2012 Turner Prize and Laure Provost, winner of 2013 Max Mara's Prize. However, this doesn’t stop the gallery from showing young talent such as Simon Mathers, Aishan Yu and Katrina Palmer. The goal of opening a gallery in Brussels was to expand and spread it’s programme, allowing the Central European enthusiasts a space to catch some of the world’s most desirable artists.

Address: Avenue Louise 423 - Website: www.motinternational.com

RODOLPHE JANSSEN

Having opened in 1991, Rodolphe Janssen Gallery has organised more than 120 shows and has participated in more than 40 art fairs. The gallery has gained a unique fame of championing and supporting works from diverse types of media, since the 00’s, from European and American artists alike. A presence in the Art Brussels fair, Roldophe Janssen Gallery represents names such as Sam Moyer, Still House Group, Wim Delvoye and Chris Martin.

Address: Rue de Livorne 35 - Website: www.galerierodolphejanssen.com

ALICE GALLERY

Opened in 2005 by Alice van den Abeele and Raphaël Cruyt, Alice Gallery offers a platform for artists from graffiti, street art, punk and skateboarding sub-cultures. Their aesthetics demonstrate urban sensibility and a belief in a unique mix of contemporary art, street art and film. Focusing on emerging artists and street art, they represent Maya Hyuk, Todd James and Stephen Powers. The gallery also presents a nice selection of books & magazines about graphic design, t-shirts, stickers and other popular items. You can also catch them at Art Brussels.

Address: Rue du pays de Liège 4 - Website: www.alicebxl.com

GRETA MEERT

Occupying an impressive Art Nouveau building designed by the architect Louis Bral and then restored by architects Hilde Daem and Robbrecht, the gallery was founded in 1988 under the name of Gallery Meert Rihoux. In 2006, it changed direction and assumed the name of the new director, Greta Meert. From the start, the gallery has placed the emphasis on the minimal and conceptual art of the seventies, from Donald Judd to Robert Mangold, Richard Tuttle, Robert Barry and Hanne Darboven, while always dedicating a special attention to photography from the eighties (from names like Thomas Struth, Louise Lawler, Jeff Wall, Ken Lum, Ian Wallace and John Baldessari). In addition, the gallery presents a more future-focused selection of artists including young Italian and Belgian visual artists such as Liliana Moro, Eva Marisaldi, Mario Airò, Grazia Toderi and Sylvie Eyberg, Sophie Nys, Catharina Van Eetvelde and Koen van den Broek.

Address: Rue du Canal 13 - Website: www.galeriegretameert.com

MIDDLEMARCH

Middlemarch is a non-profit space for contemporary art hosted in a private apartment in Brussels, Belgium. Named after an imaginary village in a George Elliot’s novel, the project was founded by Virginie Devillez, former curator at the Royal Musem of Fine Arts of Belgium. When Virginie couldn’t find a space for a new contemporary art venue, she teamed up with artist Jean-Baptiste Bernadet and decided to just use her own living room and dining room. Their first exhibition in October 2011 was an instant success and they decided to stick to the unconventional concept. Every show is an “episode”.

Address: Chaussée de Waterloo 550 - Website: www.middlemarch.be

C L E A R I N G

Directed by Barthélémy Scholler, Clearing Gallery is present in Brussels and New York. While the Brooklyn gallery started as a project space, it quickly evolved into a fully-fledged gallery. Founder Olivier Babin came to Brussels just a year after the opening in Brooklyn and created a townhouse, opposed to the white cube space in the United States. The gallery represents international artists such as Korakrit Arunaanondchai, Aaron Aujla, Sebastian Black, Ryan Foerster and Marina Pinsky, as well as Belgian artists Koenraad Dedobbeleer and Harold Ancart. It’s also actively involved in collaborations with museums and foundations. Clearing is also present in fairs like Frieze New York, Art Brussels, Fiac and Dallas.

Address: Avenue Louise 292 - Website: www.c-l-e-a-r-i-n-g.com

XAVIER HUFKENS

The origins of this gallery dates back to 1987, when Xavier Hufkens opened a gallery space in an un-refurbished warehouse in the neighbourhood of South Station (Midi) in Brussels. During the early years of the gallery the focus was upon mid-career and emerging artists, having introduced some of the most influential contemporary artists to Brussels at a time when they were still relatively unknown. With the motto of offering quality above anything, the gallery has a roster of thirty plus artists from various generations, including Willem de Kooning, Tracey Emin, Sterling Ruby, Erwin Wurm and George Condo. Part of the six-member selection committee for Art Basel during seven years, Xavier Hufkens also participates in up to five international Arts Fairs annually.

Address: Rue St-Georges 6 and 107 - Website: www.xavierhufkens.com

SORRY, WE’RE CLOSED

Since April 2005, Sorry We’re Closed has been presenting artists’ projects in a 350cm³ white cube standing on Rue de la Régence between the Law Courts and the Museum of Fine Arts. A very inspired location, the place is permanently visible from the outside and illuminated, with one window opening onto the street, lit up day and night. Created by Rodolphe Janssen’s brother, Sébastien, the window-display-size cube, that comes with a tiny gallery behind it, as been showing a program as eccentric as its name. With Laura Ghazzaoui, Eddie Martinez and Ugo Rondine as some of the artists jewels, its also present in fairs such as Art Brussels, NADA New York and the Armory Show.

Address: Rue de la Régence 67 - Website: www.sorrywereclosed.com

SUPER DAKOTA

Super Dakota is a commercial art gallery, originally founded in Paris as Galerie Dakota in 2011. Galerie Dakota became the Super Dakota gallery, continuing the initial reasoning - to discover and promote up-and-coming artists. Super Dakota is renewing this ambition and confirming its determination to be more open to international art. Director Damîen Bertelle-Rogier wants to be consistent with the perspective of contemporary art as a demanding discipline and whose roots lie deep in the history of art, creating a dialogue between different generations and producing creative synergies. With works from artists like Joachim Bandau, Baptiste Caccia, Alex Clarke and Christian Vetter, you can also find Super Dakota at Art Brussels.

Address: Rue Washington 45 - Website: www.superdakota.com

OFFICE BAROQUE

Office Baroque originated in Antwerp, but in the end of 2013 decided to open a new place in Brussels. In an impressive Art Nouveau building designed by architect Paul Hamesse, this beautiful gallery used to house a former brewery. Representing both promising and more established artists, European and American, they have created a great way to present distinct art in unique shows. They are present in several art fairs like Frieze, FIAC, Miart and Art Brussels.

Address: Place du Jardin aux Fleurs - Website: www.officebaroque.com

See also: Gallery Guide Lisboa - Gallery Guide Porto - Gallery Guide Milano - Gallery Guide São Paulo

Aujourd'hui Exclusive.

A central part of the 30th anniversary celebrations of CPS – Centro Português de Serigrafia ( Portuguese Printmaking Centre ) was a group exhibition at the Coa Museum. The exhibition occupies the museum's three temporary exhibition rooms, each with its unique focus. The first room displays a total of seven editioned works – one by each participating artist. The second and main exhibition room is dedicated to new original works exhibited for the first time, while the third room is a photography and video installation documenting the artists relationship with the printmaking studio.

“1/81” comes from the correlation of the existing mass between the Earth and the Moon. Being this last one the Earth’s only natural satellite and the fifth biggest of the Solar System, it’s also the biggest natural satellite of a planet in the solar system. Regarding its primary body size, it has a 27% diameter and 60% of Earth’s density, representing 1/81 of its mass.

“We correlate ourselves in a so-called contemporary society controlled by artificial satellites, where the speed of a post-digital and new media generation dictates time and velocity, and artificially replaces the natural/analogical world. “Scrolling” reality in search of “new stories”, one's loss of references for contemplation has become constant, increasingly contributing to distance human beings from nature. A reality where the pictorial tradition of landscaping no longer seems adequate to deal with the intricate web of meanings brought forth by the great networks and metropolises.” - Paulo Arraiano, Curator.

1/81 - CPS (Portuguese Printmaking Centre) 30th Anniversary
Artists: Alexandre Farto (Vhils), Miguel Januário, Paulo Arraiano, Pedro Matos, Ricardo Passaporte, Sandro Resende, Susana Anágua and Ana João Romana.
Museu do Côa (Coa Museum), May 30 - August 9 (Extended until September, 2015)

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After a tour of Lisbon and Oporto, we found ourselves with a dilemma of our own. Which city’s galleries would we tour next? Luckily, Domenico de Chirico and Marialuisa Pastò curated our brand new Gallery Guide Milano. Just in time for the city’s art fair, we present you a selection of spaces all around the city, from the blue-chip galleries, to the small ones where the local scene is always buzzing. Internationally famous due to its fashion spirit, it’s time to present you the hottest art destinations on our Gallery Guide Milano.  

BRAND NEW GALLERY

Brand New Gallery is a space devoted to contemporary art, suspended halfway between a gallery and a center for cultural promotion. The brainchild of two art historians, Chiara Badinella and Fabrizio Affronti, whose aim is to promote the work of foreign artists know internationally, but still unseen in Italy. This platform where artists, curators and collectors can meet and exchange ideas has represented Angel Otero and Kasper Sonne and previously exhibited Oscar Murillo, David Ostrowski and Christian Rosa. Brand New Gallery is also a fresh presence in art fairs such as Miart, Art Brussels and Expo Chicago. 

Address: Via Carlo Farini 32 - Website: www.brandnew-gallery.com

HANGAR BICOCCA

Hangar Bicocca is a space devoted to the production, exhibition and promotion of contemporary art. Set up in 2004, it occupied a vast industrial complex formerly owned by Ansaldo-Breda. It has landed solo exhibitions of top international talent like Tomás Saraceno, Marina Abramovic and Alfredo Jaar. The artistic programme is defined by its focus on research and experimentation and by its particular emphasis on site-specific projects capable of interacting with their unique setting. An idea well worth launching by Hangar Bicocca. 

Address: Via Chiese 2 - Website: www.hangarbicocca.org

LISSON GALLERY

Lisson Gallery is one of the most influential and longest-running international contemporary art galleries in the world. Since being founded in 1967 by Nicholas Logsdail, it has championed the career of several artists who have transformed the way art is made and presented. Its Milan counterpart, which opened in 2011 after two spaces in London, is directed by Annette Hofmann and has showed artists like Ai Weiwei, Jason Martin and Anish Kapoor. It’s a regular presence at major art fairs like Frieze and Art Basel. And it also travels inside its own walls with Lisson Presents, a programme of timely initiatives beyond the gallery spaces. A beautiful way to connect spaces through art. 

Address: Via Zenale 3 - Website: www.lissongallery.com

MASSIMO DE CARLO

Massimo de Carlo gallery was founded in Milano in 1987. Focusing, since the beginning, in young and prominent artists such as, among others, Alighiero Boetti, Rudolf Stingel, Maurizio Cattelan and Yan Pei-Ming. The success of these and other artists they picked went on to favour its ongoing success. After all, Massimo de Carlo has been playing a fundamental role in bringing the most interesting voices to the Italian art scene and taking Italian artists into much higher flights. It has a second space in London since 2009 and is present in art fairs such as Art Basel Hong Kong, Frieze and FIAC.

Address: Via Giovanni Ventura 5 - Website: www.massimodecarlo.com

FEDERICO VAVASSORI

An important part in the Milan art scene, Federico Vavassori gallery has been around since 2011. Know for its distinct architecture and for its importance in the city's art scene, it has artists such as Emil Klein, Greg Parma Smith, and Dario Guccio on its roster. It has previously exhibited The Stillhouse Group’s Brendan Lynch, Louis Eisner and Nick Darmstaedter.  

Address: Via Giovanni Ventura 6 - Address: www.vava-milano.com

FONDAZIONE PRADA

Only a fashion city could house a gallery such as this one. Fondazione Prada, co-chaired by Miuccia Prada and Patrizio Bertelli since 1995, is an institution dedicated to contemporary art and culture and is scheduled to open in Milan in May. It’s programme already includes showing the Prada Collection, but also projects from Wes Anderson and Roman Polanski. Just to spice our curiosities a little further, architecture firm OMA is developing the project led by Rem Koolhas for a dazzling 19,000 m2 of Prada. 

Address: Via Spartaco 17 - Website: www.fondazioneprada.org

FRANCESCA MININI

One more stop in our Milano Gallery Guide is Francesca Minini gallery. Founded in 2006 and enjoying the view in Via Massiniano 25, Francesca Minini is a regular at every major art fair – with presences in Art Basel, FIAC, Artissima, etc. Its has some big names in its roster like Ghada Amer, Becky Beasley and Mathias Bitzer. 

Address: Via Massiniano 25 - Website: www.francescaminini.it

GIÒ MARCONI

Giò Marconi founded Giò Marconi gallery in 1990. He had previously created Studio Marconi 17, a experimental laboratory for young artists, critics and cultural workers. The new gallery, initially directed by Joe and his father Giorgio, founder of Studio Marconi (1965-1992), pays attention to the proposals of the new generations while still offering historic artists of Studio Marconi. With artists such as Wade Guyton and Franz Ackermann, its art fair presence in Miart, Art Cologne and Frieze is more than justified.

Address: Via Tadino 20 - Website: www.giomarconi.com

KAUFFMAN REPETTO

Francesca Kaufmann opened in January 2000. Since then, the gallery has aimed to explore different kinds of media, focusing on video and site specific installation. After ten years in its historic location, the gallery opened a new space in October 2010, under the name kaufmann repetto, to mark the recent partnership between Francesca Kaufmann and Chiara Repetto. 
In its new location, the gallery was able to further develop its exhibition program through a project room dedicated mostly to younger artists, as well as a courtyard for outdoor installations, both running parallel to the gallery main shows. 

Address: via di Porta Tenaglia 7 - Website: www.kaufmannrepetto.com

LIA RUMMA

With spaces in Milan and Naples, Lia Rumma is another leading contemporary art gallery. It regularly exhibits household names such as Marina Abramovic, Alfredo Jaar, Anselm Kiefer and Donald Judd. It is present at every Art Basel, but also in other art fairs such as Art Brussels and The Amory Show. 

Address: via Stilicone 19 - Website: www.liarumma.it

SPAZIO CABINET / STUDIOLO

Spazio Cabinet was founded in Milano in May 2010. Having started as a non-profit space exclusively based on international double-exhibitions, primarily focused on painting, sculpture and installation. Spazio Cabinet moved to a new venue in Via Alessandro Tadino 20 in November 2012. With a mezzanine floor inside an old style Milan building in the Porta Venezia area. Studiolo was founded with the aim of supporting and representing a restricted choice of young artists.

Address: via Alessandro Tadino 20 - Website: www.spaziocabinet.com and www.studioloproject.com

PEEP-HOLE

Peep-Hole is an independent art center founded in Milan in 2009, active in the promotion and diffusion of contemporary art. The aim of Peep-Hole - as underlined by its name - is to encourage people to take a closer look at artists’ practices through an articulated program that moves between the format of exhibitions, publications, lectures and workshops. Its activities take place mainly in the space located in Milan, at Fonderia Artistica Battaglia, historical foundry in Milan. It is a non profit organization supported by artists who believe in its mission. To date, Peep-Hole counts on more than 150 artist supporters. And that’s a lovely number.

Address: Via Stilicone 10 - Website: www.peep-hole.org

GALLERIA ZERO

The last gallery in our countdown through Milano is ZERO, a gallery founded in 2000 with the aim of increasing the inter­na­tional atten­tion on young Ital­ian art. The col­lab­o­ra­tion with international artists is also an impor­tant aspect of teir program, having already exhibited artists such as João Maria Gusmão + Pedro Paiva and Thomas Houseago.

Address: Viale Premuda 46 - Website: www.galleriazero.it

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Curated by Domenico de Chirico and Marialuisa Pastò

Centro Português de Serigrafia (Portuguese Silkscreen Centre) was born with the noblest of purposes: to give Portuguese art aficionados the chance to own and enjoy top notch works. And it pays off to be a CPS associate, with first hand access to exclusive content and a lot more benefits. 

The dialogue between CPS and contemporary artists creates some outstanding pieces while valuing and growing the visual arts in Portugal. Since their first edition in 1985 with Manuel Cargaleiro, it has produced works of Portuguese artists such as Paula Rego and Cruzeiro Seixas, but also from international artists like Gordillo or Peter Klasen. It’s a permanent production of silkscreen, lithography, engraving and more recently, digital printing. 

It’s not just about selling the most remarkable editions, it’s also about how they are created. After all, CPS has produced more than 1.500 editions of about 450 authors and that makes it a living environment with a unique place in the Portuguese art scene.

To celebrate its 30 year anniversary, CPS is also curating the upcoming touring group exhibition 1/81,  with a first presentation at the Coa Museum in Portugal. 

Aujourd'hui exclusive.

Everyone can feel Oporto’s vibe and its fame stretches way out of Portugal. The creative economy boomed during the great recession and the city gained some new faces, some new artists and an even more glooming art feel. The Portuguese scene is not only Lisbon, but a wide array of places happening in all of Portugal. Oporto is home to some of the best galleries and a lot of them are in the same street – Rua Miguel Bombarda. Lauded internationally due to its looks and spirit, it’s time to choose and recommend some of the cities brightest galleries.

FERNANDO SANTOS

The first stop in our gallery street is Galeria Fernando Santos. This gallery, established in 1993 in Oporto, has presented itself with several, and very ambitious, goals. To introduce the best in the international panorama to its collectors, but also to sell Portuguese big names and support the emerging artists. It’s crystal clear that Galeria Fernando Santos has succeed, presenting artists like Bosco Sodi and Pedro Cabrita Reis, while pioneering home grown talent. 

Address: Rua Miguel Bombarda 526 - Website: www.galeriafernandosantos.com

MÚRIAS CENTENO

Founded in Oporto in 2007 by Nuno Centeno, the gallery changed its name when Bruno Múrias became a member. The new name brought a new location and a second space was unveiled in Lisbon in 2014. They have already displayed works from emerging and established artists such as Max Ruf, Secundino Hernández and Dan Rees. With consequent presences in the Arco Madrid, Murias Centeno shows the influence that Portuguese galleries have been building in the Iberian and European context. 

Address: Rua Miguel Bombarda 531 - Website: www.muriascenteno.com

GALERIA MÁRIO SEQUEIRA ( Braga )

Galeria Mário Sequeira is still a stretch away from the gallery street in Oporto. After all, it’s located in Braga, but is still worth the distance and the mention in this gallery guide. Premiering in 1994 in an old farmhouse, a beautiful new space was unveiled in 2000, designed by Carvalho Araújo. With exhibitions by Jason Martin, Anselm Kiefer and Pedro Cabrita Reis, and presences in Arco Madrid, Art Rio and Art Cologne, Galeria Mário Sequeira sure deserves to be in this Gallery Guide Porto. 

Address: Rua da Galeria ( Braga ) - Website: www.mariosequeira.com

KUBIK GALLERY

Opening in 2010 to show and represent both established and emerging artists, Kubik Gallery takes us from Miguel Bombarda to Rua da Restauração in search of new art thrills. One of them is its original “Kubikulo”, a project space with only 4x3m, with no restrictions but its size, for artists to intervene and complement the obviously bigger gallery space. A small and quirky detail for a gallery present in some big art stages like Arco Madrid, Art Rio and BA Photo. 

Address: Rua da Restauração 2 - Website: www.kubikgallery.com

GALERIA PRESENÇA

One more stop in Rua Miguel Bombarda is Galeria Presença. Present since 1995, it has some heavyweights names among its roster like Portuguese artists Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, Pedro Calapez and Vasco Araújo. Galeria Presença also had a second location in Lisbon from 2006 to 2008, but the focus in Oporto is total by now. It has had occasional presences in art fairs such as Arco Madrid and Est Art Fair. 

Address: Rua Miguel Bombarda 570 - Website: www.galeriapresenca.pt

GALERIA PEDRO OLIVEIRA

Galeria Pedro Oliveira was founded in 1980 with the name Galeria Roma e Pavia. The new naming was presented in 1990, the first year in which it participated in Arco Madrid, without failing a single presence ever since. With artists like Paulo Brighenti, Julião Sarmento and Jorge Molder in its roster, it is sure a worth a detour from Rua Miguel Bombarda to Calçada de Monchique. 

Address: Calçada de Monchique 3 - Website: www.galeriapedrooliveira.com

GALERIA QUADRADO AZUL

Galeria Quadrado Azul represents Portuguese and foreign artists, both established names in the art scene and fresh young artists. Born in 1986 in Oporto, the gallery was one of the first commercial exhibition spaces in the city, emerging from the interest for contemporary and modern art by Manuel Ulisses, art collector since the 1960’s. Present in Arco Madrid and Art Brussels, Galeria Quadrado Azul showcases artists like José de Guimarães and Ana Perez Quiroga. 

Address: Rua Miguel Bombarda 578 - Website: www.quadradoazul.pt

GALERIA DAMA AFLITA

A ten minute walk from Rua Miguel Bombarda to Rua da Picaria brings us to Galeria Dama Aflita, the only gallery of our list with a clear focus on Drawing and Illustration. The gallery favors the exchange of experiences between various areas of Illustration and also promotes satellite events such as public art, workshops and artist publications. Pedro Zamith, Craig Atkinson and André da Loba are some of the artists Galeria Dama Aflita has already shown. 

Address: Rua da Picaria 84 - Website: www.damaaflita.com

WRONG WEATHER

How does a high-end boutique end up in our gallery guide for Oporto? By showcasing some top notch art while selling quality clothing. Wrong Weather believes fashion is an art form and with such interruptions that creative designers have to face in their dialogue, they decided to show more daring ideas. With a space devoted to the visual arts, Wrong Weather has showcased artists like Bruce LaBruce and Patrick Church and that deserves to be mentioned in this gallery guide.

Address: Avenida da Boavista 754 - Website: www.wrongweather.net 

See also: Gallery Guide - Lisboa

Art has taken over the Flattered Apartments in Porto. The unique concept has received artworks and installations by Portuguese artists Duarte Amaral Netto, ±MAISMENOS±, Paulo Arraiano, Pedro Matos and Gonçalo Mar. These will be the resident artists at Flattered Apartments in Porto for the next two years.

Flattered is a Portuguese project offering vacation rental apartments in Porto, Lisbon and Tomar. There are five units in Porto, located right in the seafront, in a restored historical building. The interior design of all of them bears the signature of architect José Carlos Cruz.

For 2015 a broader and more ambitious approach to Art has been drafted and a new project was born under the name of Flattered By. The challenge can be summed to a simple formula. One apartment, one artist, one installation in one piece.

These apartments were designed to please the most demanding guests and to be unique between each other. Every room is a piece within itself and this showcase plays a major role in achieving this goal. It’s the right amount of art among the exclusiveness and quality that is Flattered’s everyday business.

The first round of art works was installed between March the 2nd - 6th under the form of an “artist-in-residence” model. Each unit worked as a white room for a specific artist. Duarte Amaral Netto, Gonçalo Mar, ±MAISMENOS±, Paulo Arraiano and Pedro Matos will be the five Portuguese artists featured in the first edition of this venue.

Flattered Apartments
www.flatteredapartments.com

Exclusive Aujourd'hui.

The Clock, a piece from north-american artist Christian Marclay, is a 24 hours experience in which the artist tries to represent every single minute of a day. The result, which took three years to be produced, is a film composed by thousands of movie clips.

The Clock comes to Lisbon after a tour of London, New York and Paris that made the piece a hit. When it was premiered five years ago it was welcomed with rave reviews and it’s easy to understand why. Contemporary art is often megalamaniac, but rarely so on point with the way we live and our perception of the world.

After all, The Clock is a real life clock in which every clip is aligned with real time.

When questioned if some minutes were harder to find, Marclay laughed and told us that even though we don’t remember it, it’s possible to find every minute of our time in the wide array of film that has been produced. This obsession, that led him to work twelve hours a day in this project creates a a relationship between every clip shown. It’s a 24 hour art-flick.

Marclay warns us over the press preview that almost everyone who goes to the clock spends more time there than they usually expected. It’s easy to understand why, the cadence and the time spectrum in which The Clock works can be overwhelming on the viewer. Therefore, we want more.

The rush, a wait, a tic-tac. As we watch The Clock we start to understand how time is the hidden motif behind every action we take. And that conclusion confirms the piece as a masterpiece and justifies all of the hype it generates.

For the artist, it is important to experience the piece in different moments, as this 24 hours looping organism is totally heterogeneous in its content. There is not a right time to watch The Clock, Christian warns us. That’s why Museu Coleção Berardo is going to show the film in 24 hour sessions – starting today at 10pm – and in 33 hour sessions – this weekend, 28th of March and 18th of April.

And time goes on. 

SONNABEND | PARIS - NEW YORK, MUSEU VIEIRA DA SILVA

A selection of fifty works, from painting to sculpture and drawing, all part of the highly regarded Sonnabend collection, are going to be exhibited in Museu Arpad Szenes - Vieira da Silva until the third of May, 2015. This show, composed by works from the pop and minimal movements and by distinguished artists like Roy Liechtenstein, Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, George Segal and Andy Warhol, have all been shown in the Parisian Sonnabend gallery, in a timeframe from 1962 to 1967. And yes, we’ve all strolled along the Warhol's in this love for the art, but seeing Ileana’s portrait in a collection that belonged to her, in a Lisbon exhibition that portuguese António Homem conceived from such rich and historic pieces is more than any other show. It makes perfect sense.

THE ART LEGACY

After all, when he started working at the Ileana Sonnabend gallery in Paris, little did António Homem know about the role he would eventually have in the prestigious, and undoubtedly famous, collection. Like Leo Castelli, who only started working exclusively on art when he opened his first gallery – by then we was 50 years old – Antonio Homem was still studying in Zurich when the invitation came from Ileana Sonnabend for him to start working with the iconic family.
After that came a summer in Venice and Antonio Homem would never depart from the Sonnabends again.
When Michael and Ileana Sonnabend passed away, he was one of the main beneficiaries of the lifelong collection that his friends – or family – had managed to achieve. Due to tax fees – the Sonnabend only became a foundation after their passing – a large chunk of the legacy had to be sold. Twenty pieces were sold for fifty percent of the total value. They lost some bangers, but managed to keep the charm and essence of the legacy.
The rest is history, but it is history that we can now see live, commissioned and curated by Mr. Homem himself.

FROM NEW YORK TO PARIS TO LISBON

When António Homem presented the collection last Tuesday, he was the first to tell us how much the show meant to him, to his portuguese past and to his north-american present.
The Sonnabends came from the United States to Paris so they could work as art agents, but ultimately decided to open the Paris gallery in 1962. The clear focus was to bring works from emerging and confirmed American talent to the European art world. The show on Vieira da Silva is focused on this period.
He met them in a gallery that is utmost popular now, Bruno Bischofberger in Zurich. At the time he knew Ileana by name, from her parisienne gallery, but didn’t recognize Roy Liechtenstein sitting alongside her at dinner. She introduced him in several conversations. This relationship would be based in a big sensibility towards culture and communication. In a less formal way to say it, they got along superbly.
His big part in the Sonnabend world would come in 1971, after Michael returned to New York to open a new gallery due to Ileana’s prominent role in Paris. With a bigger curating role, he was involved in the choice of Gilbert & George for the grand opening of the Soho location.
It had limited success, but the opposite focus from the Paris gallery opened doors to the Arte Povera that was trending in Europe and to several Californian artists that were unknown in New York.
They made the dramatic option of investing in what they liked and believed. That was the main force behind the iconic exhibitions. For example, Jeff Koons was a choice for Ileana and António Homen due to the intrinsic mix of pop elements and conceptual thinking. They did what they liked and believed in.
António believes, like Michael did, that art is the continuous repetition of the new in itself. And that’s not just art, that’s life and that’s lovely. Now he returns to Portugal, where a new and excited crowd awaits to see what the legacy is made of.  

Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, Jim Dine, Mario Schifano, Roy Lichtenstein, George Segal, Andy Warhol, Michelangelo Pistoletto, John Chamberlain, James Rosenquist, Claes Oldenburg, Robert Watts, Tom Wesselmann, Arman, Larry Bell - Sonnabend | Paris - New York
Museu Vieira da Silva, February 5 - May 3
www.fasvs.pt