The second Saturday of September brings two art exhibitions to Porto Municipal Gallery

Porto Municipal Gallery opens two exhibitions on 12th September, namely "Prémio Paulo Cunha e Silva -- 2.nd edition" and "Waves and Whirlpools". The exhibits are access free and can be enjoyed till 15th November, from Tuesdays to Sunday, between 10am and 6pm. 

The ground floor gathers artwork by six artists, the finalists of the Paulo Cunha e Silva Award second edition: Basir Mahmood, Firenze Lai, Lebohang Kganye, Shaikha Al Mazrou, Song Ta and Steffani Jemison.

This group was shortlisted by a jury made up of Isabel Lewis, John Akomfrah, Margarida Mendes and Shumon Basar, out of 48 artists identified by sixteen curators.

According to the members of the jury, the chosen artists represent "the aesthetical, ethical and technical voices that dovetail the current moment or even that sense of what lies ahead", thus "moving the jury for their beauty, tenderness, and political speculation and even for their magic".

This award was established in 2015 by Porto City Hall to honour former councillor for Culture, Paulo Cunha e Silva. The winner will be announced during the exhibition.

The gallery's mezzanine, in turn, features "Waves and Whirlpools", by Luís Lázaro Matos. The show, curated by Martha Kirszenbaum (curator of the Pavilion of France, at the 58th Biennial of Venice, in 2019), presents several paintings by the artist, inspired by his latest work (same name as the exhibition) and references to the mythology of the sea: incredible marine creatures, an astronaut dog named Laika, a musician that has turned into a turtle and several mysterious aliens. These are but some of the portrayed images, which convey the author's fantasy of power over the ocean and his fascination of conspiracy theories.

To ensure both public and staff safety, the maximum number of visitors to the Municipal Gallery is limited to 20 people visiting the ground floor simultaneously, and 10 people at the mezzanine.

In line with the Health Authorities guidelines, visitors must comply with the use of face masks, hand sanitation and two metres social distancing rules.

See here for further information.