Jorge Pinheiro (Coimbra, 1931) is a central figure in the Portuguese artistic context from the second half of the twentieth century, forming, in 1968, the famous group ‘Os Quatro Vintes’ [‘The Four Twenties’], alongside Ângelo de Sousa (Maputo, 1938 – 2011, Porto), Armando Alves (Estremoz, 1935), and José Rodrigues (Luanda, 1936 – 2016, Porto). In a career spanning more than five decades, Pinheiro has developed an artistic practice of profound theoretical and intellectual coherence, translated into a multifaceted body of work in which figurative painting and concrete abstraction coexist.

Jorge Pinheiro’s work is based on mathematical and semiotic principles, while being particularly inspired by the famous Fibonacci sequence, wherein each number is the sum of the two preceding ones. The presence of geometric modulations and patterns of high chromatic contrast is articulated with a thorough exploration of concepts of rhythm and seriality, which underlines the artist’s interest in music.

The exhibition Jorge Pinheiro: Works from the Serralves Collection presents a group of abstract works that highlight the artist’s investigations into musical arrangements, chromatic combinations, and geometric formulations. The exhibition also includes the sculpture Babel (2010/2017) — the artist’s largest three-dimensional work — which was produced for the exhibition Jorge Pinheiro: D’après Fibonacci and the world outside organised by the Serralves Museum in 2017.

This exhibition, curated by Joana Valsassina, is part of the Touring Exhibitions Programme of the Serralves Collection, which aims to make the Foundation’s collection accessible to different audiences across the country.

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