ASIA’S first major retrospective of the late Portuguese contemporary artist Helena Almeida (1934-2018) has opened at the Macao Museum of Art (MAM).

Titled “Helena Almeida: I Am Here — Presence and Resonance,” the two-part exhibition features nearly 200 original works spanning Almeida’s decades-long career. It aims to not only showcase the works of Almeida but also reveal how her art and influence continues to reverberate in contemporary Chinese artistic practice.

Known for her exploration of the body, space and self-representation, Almeida’s work frequently blurred the boundaries between painting, photography and performance. The Lisbon-born artist, who began exhibiting in the late 1960s, represented Portugal at the Venice Biennale in 1982 and 2005.

MAM’s “Presence” section constitutes Almeida’s first large-scale retrospective in Asia and presents her artistic development in chronological order, including early paintings, photographic series, preparatory sketches and video works.This section offers a comprehensive exploration of the unique relationship between bodily performativity and practices of self-representation in her oeuvre.

The “Resonance” section showcases Almeida’s continuing influence, bringing together works inspired by her practice from mainland Chinese artists Min Han, Gao Fuyan and Sun Xiaoyu, as well as Macao artists Pang Yun, Wong Weng Io and Angel Chan On Kei.

To complement the exhibition, a curating workshop led by Portuguese art scholar and chief curator Delfim Sardo was held at MAM. There will also be a thematic lecture and two “bodily narrative” workshops conducted by co-curator Song Zhen. Participation is free, with registration via the “Macao One” app required.

Admission: Free

Dates: Through April 26

Venue: Macao Museum of Art, Macao

(SD News)