The first major retrospective in Asia of the works of prominent Portuguese artist Helena Almeida (1934 – 2018) will come to a close on Sunday after its three-month showcase at the Macau Museum of Art (MAM), with members of the public still able to view a raft of works until then.
Although Almeida passed away back in 2018, the Lisbon-born artist’s influence remains, having been a prominent figure in Portuguese and international contemporary art.
With an extensive career, Almeida studied painting at the Lisbon School of Fine Arts, and by the late 1960s, photography became her main medium, according to a statement displayed at the venue. She was the daughter of sculptor Leopoldo de Almeida, who also had an impact on her and her work, the statement highlighted.
Her first solo exhibition in 1967 at Galeria Bucholz in Lisbon marked the beginning of her experimental artistic exploration and by 1969, a signature part of her work emerged where she incorporated herself into her images and using the body as a medium. She entered major exhibitions while her works have been collected by leading institutions.
Held across three floors in two sections, the retrospective, titled “Helena Almeida: I Am Here – Presence and Resonance”, showcases 190 of Almeida’s artworks in her section titled “Presence”, including black and white photography, final sketch studies and preparatory sketches in chronological order based on her extensive career. Sections featuring videos of Almeida throughout her life are also found.
“The show highlights Almeida’s exploration of the body, space, resilience, and impermanence, often in collaboration with her partner Artur Rosa”, who was a sculptor and architect, as noted in the information at the museum. Rosa passed away in 2020.
Chief curator Delfim Sardo described the exhibition in a curator’s statement at the museum as being “one of the most comprehensive perspectives of Helena Almeida’s works”, presenting key moments of her career in chronological order. “It aims to offer a broad reading of the unique relationship between bodily performativity and the practice of self-representation that designs her oeuvre”.
A dedicated section “Resonance” features works by several female artists from Macau and the Chinese mainland, being inspired by Almeida.
One can catch the showcase of Almeida’s work, alongside those created by other artists, through Sunday, with the museum open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., with the last entry at 6:30 p.m.
These photos mainly show the works created by Helena Almeida in the section “Presence” of the exhibition “Helena Almeida: I Am Here – Presence and Resonance”. – Photos taken yesterday at the Macau Museum of Art (MAM) by Rui Pastorin
