Helena Almeida (Lisbon, Portugal, 1934–2018), a key figure on the Portuguese art scene, produced a singular work during the 1960s characterised by a profound interest in the body and its central place—that records, occupies and defines space—and its performative encounter with the world. The first abstract canvases by the artist were a critical approach to the limits of the pictorial space and the literal conditions of painting. That interest extended to photography in the 1970s, when the distinctive space of the artist’s studio and her own body, fragmented and partially obscured, became recurring presences. The identification between body and work is a fundamental feature of Helena Almeida’s work, which questions traditional disciplines of painting, drawing, sculpture, or photography as devices to present and represent reality.

This exhibition, curated by Marta Moreira de Almeida and coordinated by Carlos Magalhães, is part of the Serralves Collection Touring Exhibitions Programme, which aims to make the Foundation’s collection accessible to different audiences across the country.

Production: Fundação de Serralves — Museu de Arte Contemporânea, Porto