ARCOlisboa 2019

ARCOlisboa is gearing up to celebrate its 4th edition from May 16 to May 19, once again offering art lovers a first-hand look at Portugal’s vibrant art scene in dialogue with contemporary art from around the globe. Held in the Cordoaria Nacional—a stunning 18th-century industrial building on the banks of the Tagus River in Lisbon’s historic Belém district—ARCOlisboa 2019 will host nearly 80 galleries and will feature a variety of special sections, including a selection of galleries from Africa and a section dedicated to contemporary art publishing.

As in past editions, the central part of ARCOlisboa 2019 will be organized into three areas: Main Section, Opening and Projects. The Main Section of ARCOlisboa 2019 will include 50 galleries from Portugal and 15 other countries: among galleries participating for the first time in the Main Section will be Vera Munro and Georg Kargl, while returning galleries will include Krinzinger, Greengrassi, Pietro Sparta and Vermelho.

The Opening section of ARCOlisboa will feature 12 galleries, each with fewer than 7 years of experience, in a selection curated by João Laia. Among the galleries participating in Opening are newcomers such as Lehmann+Silva from Porto or Fran Reus from Palma de Mallorca. The Projects section of the fair will feature individual artists’ projects, presented at the fair by their galleries: this year’s Projects will include work by Daniel García Andujar presented by Àngels Barcelona; Gerold Miller presented by Cassina Projects; and Nicolas Grospierre presented by Alarcón Criado.

One of the most exciting new aspects of this year’s edition of the fair will be Africa in Focus, a selection of galleries from Africa. Taking as its starting point Portugal’s unique international position at the crossroads of Africa and Europe, Africa in Focus will include 6 galleries from Angola, Uganda, Mozambique and South Africa, with individual stands interspersed throughout the fair. Curated by Paula Nascimento, Africa in Focus will also feature a series of talks around the most up-to-date contemporary art in Africa, with the participation of figures such as Raphael Chickwkwa and Azu Ngagbogu.

ARCOlisboa 2019 will feature again a special section dedicated to contemporary art publishing. Organized in this occasion by Arts Libris (which celebrates similar events in Barcelona and ARCOmadrid), the section will count on the participation of nearly 40 art publishers, and will also include a series of lectures and panel discussions focusing on the state of art publishing today. In addition, this year the fair will expand its Forum section, including a series of talks entitled “Em què estou a trabalhar?” (“What am I working on?“), directed by Filipa Oliveira.

In conjunction with the fair, Lisbon’s leading art and cultural institutions will present a program of exhibitions showcasing Portugal’s artists—whether emerging artists or more established figures such as Carlos Bunga, Pedro Cabrita Reis, Rui Chafes and Ângela Ferreira—often pairing them with prominent international artists. Participating institutions include MAAT, Calouste Gubelkian, Culturgest, and the Berardo Collection Museum.

This year’s edition of the fair will have new opening hours that are better suited to the pace and schedule of daily life in Lisbon: May 16–17 the fair will be open from 2 to 9pm; May 18 the fair will be open from 12pm to 9pm; and on May 19 the fair will be open from 12 to 6pm.

More Information www.arcolisboa.com