ABOUT THE MUSEUM

A COLLECTION IN TWO STAGES

Developed in two distinct stages, MACAM's collection brings together a vast array of important works of Portuguese and international art. In the first, beginning in 1974, collector Armando Martins focused exclusively on Portuguese art, favouring the artistic movements of the twentieth century; in the second, from the 2000s onwards, he expanded the collection to include contemporary international art, with a special focus on the late twentieth- and twenty-first centuries.

This exhibition, installed in Galleries 1 and 2 on the ground floor of the palace, has been made permanent in order to offer a comprehensive view of the collection and ensure continuous access to the significant works of art history that characterise the MACAM collection.

Gallery 1 offers a tour of Portuguese art, with representative works from the late nineteenth century and the subsequent artistic movements of the twentieth century, which defined the process of modernisation of art in Portugal, from naturalism to geometric abstractionism. Structured in a chronological approach, this first part is characterised by the predominance of painting, complemented by works on paper and some sculptures. Although centred on national art, this section features some anachronistic and disruptive contributions by contemporary national and international artists who initiate a subtle interlocution on a formal, thematic or conceptual level, anticipating the interaction that intensifies in the second part of the exhibition.

In Gallery 2, the journey continues with works of contemporary art, presenting a dialogue between Portuguese and foreign artists in a diverse approach organised into various thematic sections. In this second part of the permanent exhibition, we find a multiplicity of languages, techniques and media which transcend the traditional parameters of previous eras, including photography, video and installation. The works here present new, challenging and provocative perspectives, exploring the relationship between past and present and the dialogues and tensions of an art that is attentive to the dynamics of a world where the themes of globalisation are intertwined with changing identities, cultures and narratives.