Perhaps you are pondering what lies behind these walls. The Museu Nacional de Arte Contemporânea do Chiado holds a treasure. It showcases Portuguese art from the second half of the nineteenth century to the present day. Founded in 1911 the Museu Nacional de Arte Contemporânea do Chiado was one of the world’s first contemporary art museums.
The Museu Nacional de Arte Contemporânea do Chiado is a must-visit. It helps one understand modern and contemporary Portuguese art. The museum is in Lisbon’s historic center. Its temporary exhibitions are very important. The collection’s presentation is periodically renewed. These renewals occur on temporal or thematic segments. This is according to historical and critical research.
The program isn’t limited to Portuguese art. It focuses on artists and movements of international modernism. It monitors and shares contemporary artistic creation. This happens through co-productions. These co-productions are with other museums and art centers.
The Museu Nacional de Arte Contemporânea do Chiado covers 1850 to 1950. It features works by leading Portuguese artists. Some foreign artists are represented too. It holds the best collection of Portuguese painting and sculpture. These are from the Romanticism Naturalism and Modern periods.
You will see works by António Silva Porto here. Consider António Carneiro’s art. Admire António Soares dos Reis’s sculptures. Discover Miguel Ângelo Lupi’s creations. Columbano Bordalo Pinheiro is a key figure. Amadeo de Souza Cardoso is also featured.
The Museu Nacional de Arte Contemporânea do Chiado has occupied part of the old Convent of São Francisco since 1911. This building has medieval origins. French architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte renovated the museum areas in 1994.
During the COVID-19 pandemic the museum launched online lectures. They were called ‘Conversas Sobre o Retrato’. The Education Service gave a voice to scholars. These scholars specialized in Art History and Criticism. They covered Painting Photography Literature and Fashion. The drawing course ‘O Fungagá das Artes’ was presented by artists Nelson Ferreira and António Faria. ‘O Fungagá das Artes’ was extremely popular. It reached 42000 families per episode. Thousands of drawings made at home became tickets to the Museu Nacional de Arte Contemporânea do Chiado for the whole family. The Portuguese Association of Museology awarded ‘O Fungagá das Artes’ the APOM 2022 Award. It won for best Education and Cultural Mediation Project.
The Museu Nacional de Arte Contemporânea do Chiado is a space for dialogue. It caters to all age groups. The exhibition for children “The other life of animals” was organized. This show brought together several artists. Its theme was the loss of biodiversity. The Museu Nacional de Arte Contemporânea do Chiado organized the first exhibition of Veloso Salgado in France. About 60 artworks were displayed. It highlighted his connection to the painters of Wissant. The museum inaugurated Nelson Ferreira’s exhibition “Painting rarefied the spirit”. This was the result of the first artistic residency in the Sculpture Garden. This show displayed watercolors. They were inspired by the museum’s permanent collection. These paintings were a tribute to academic artists. The blue tones in the paintings led to the experimental short film Azul no Azul.
As you leave remember the Museu Nacional de Arte Contemporânea do Chiado. It is more than a museum. It is a living testament to Portugal’s vibrant artistic soul a place where the past inspires the present.