Curated by Marta Mestre

A tetralogy of words and interventional sculptures.

Manifestos, in general, are characterised by the use of an interventionist tone, which aims to define a new field of possibilities. By crossing words, sounds and visual constructions, they convey messages of change and exhortation. Faced by a given reality, they anticipate alternative futures. José de Guimarães (b. Guimarães, 1939) has produced three manifestos at different stages of his life and work: “Arte Perturbadora” (Disturbing Art) in 1968, “A Ratoeira” (The Mouse Trap), in 1984, and “Esta Cultura faz-nos Velhos” (This Culture makes us Old), in 1999. In 2022 he produced the “Quasi-Manifesto”, following an invitation made by the CIAJG. Together they form a tetralogy that affirm the artist’s word relation to global conventions.

The temporal arc of José de Guimarães’ Manifestos encapsulates Portugal and its historical contingencies. From the insurgent tone of the “eves” of the revolution to the advent of Big Brother surveillance in the 1980s, through the different monopolies of the arts system, to arrive at a message for the future, for the dark times of the present day.

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