The Center of Modern Art (Centro de Arte Moderna - Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian)
in Lisbon is ALSO a beautiful space designed by the architect Alberto Pessoa. Finished in 1969 and it consists of the building and the beautiful park, designed by Gonçalo Ribeiro Telles.
This CAM is MOST OF ALL a great space, hosting a gorgeous permanent collection and a number of temporary exhibition, with equal quality. It is a pleasure to discover the displayed pieces, room after room, and see how each artist (mainly Portuguese) has interpreted the Modern Art during the decades.
It is possible to recognize the international (and most popular) features of each "tendency", but the Portuguese soul is the true protagonist of the Museum. It could be the subject, the theme, the density of the composition: everything is well rooted in Portugal.
view of the ticket office and of the entrance from Rue Nicolau Bettencourt
view of the hall behind the ticket office
view of the first gallery space
view of the second gallery.
A continuous wooden structure defines other secondary spaces to display other pieces
the wooden structure
pieces in front of the elegant and so-Sixties elevator
big windows towards the garden of statues
Footpaths hanging from the ceilings, with small doors to mechanicals.
With rounded corners and white metal pipes
view of the upper gallery
While I was there, I saw the exhibition about Amadeo Souza-Cardoso (1987-1918). He was a very determined artist that travelled between Portugal and France (Paris) to follow his passion and improve his talent. Friend with many artists, among which Modigliani, his pieces are incredibly heterogeneous in their style. He tried all the newest artistic movements and styles, maintaining a genuine "Portuguesity" in every painting.
Some of the pieces look like Impressionism, others like Futurism, others more like Art Decò. Then suddenly they look like Picasso, Schiele, Matisse, Cezanne. He was definitely a fine artist, paying attention to what was happening around him.
He died at 30 by a pneumonia.
The garden outside:
cafe in the park
the lake
the auditorium
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