As a way to mark the 50th anniversary of the portuguese revolution, the Paula Rego House of Stories in Cascais will inaugurate a new exhibition by the portuguese artist. "Paula Rego: Manifesto" promises to explore the themes of contemporary portuguese history through the work of the painter, who passed away in 2022 at the age of 87.
This exhibition evokes Paula Rego's first solo exhibition, presented in 1965 at the National Society of Fine Arts, at a time when the repression of the dictatorship was intensifying. From April 18 until October 6, 18 of the 19 paintings that formed that exhibition (and which were conceived between 1961 and 1965) will be reunited once again.
Some were only located very recently, after years of uncertainty. They were loaned from private collections from various countries and national institutions such as the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and the Serralves Foundation.
Paula, the "counterhistorian"
Some of the paintings that can be seen from this Thursday, the 18th, reflect Paula Rego's attitude of resistance to the dictatorship and its authoritarianism - with images that highlight her experience as a woman at that time, but also the horrors of the colonial war, to which she always opposed.
However, that will be just a part of the exhibition, curated by Catarina Alfaro and Leonor de Oliveira. Other works reflect the post-revolutionary context in Portugal and the persistence of iconic elements of the dictatorship in the democratic country.
For Catarina Alfaro and Leonor de Oliveira, Paula Rego was a "counterhistorian artist." "The narrative about the dictatorship and the process of democratization has been dominated by male perspectives and actions. In contrast, Paula Rego's work inscribes in the critical approach to these historical moments not only the female experience but also the role of women in the struggle for democracy and their rights. The creative work and civic intervention of the artist also remind us that democracy is an ongoing project and must be constantly reviewed and promoted," they say in a statement.
Casa das Histórias Paula Rego. Avenida da República, 300, Cascais. Apr 18- Oct 6. Tue-Sun 10.00-18.00. 5€