Full Description
Published in conjunction with the exhibition Histories of a Collection. Modern and Contemporary Art from the CAM, this catalogue follows various stories relating to the creation of the CAM Collection (Centro de Arta Moderna Gulbenkian), from the first acquisitions by the Foundation in the 1950s to the present day, as well as offering an in-depth account of the opening of the CAM building in 1983.
The catalogue contains seven previously unpublished essays, written by curators Ana Vasconcelos, Leonor Nazaré, Patrícia Rosas and Rita Fabiana, architect Rita Albergaria and independent curator, Antonia Gaeta, outlining some of the key moments in the Collection's history.
These essays analyse the first acquisitions, made in the context of artist grants awarded by the Foundation and as a result of travelling exhibitions organised in Portugal and abroad, and the development of the section of British art, in close collaboration with the British Council.
The catalogue also delves into the construction of the CAM building and the controversy that accompanied the entire process, as well as reflecting on the acquisitions made from the banker and collector Jorge de Brito, which contributed to greatly strengthening the collection in the months leading up to the opening.
The catalogue also charts the contribution of the last three CAM directors, Jorge Molder, Isabel Carlos and Penelope Curtis, explaining their priorities in the selection of works and the acquisition policies each of them implemented.
It also reproduces almost all the works on display, organised according to the sections of the exhibition and highlighting seven key works, all acquired during the 1960s, by some of the most renowned Portuguese and British artists featured in the collection: Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso, David Hockney, João Cutileiro, José de Almada Negreiros, Maria Helena Vieira da Silva, Paula Rego and Philip King.
Contents
7 The Collection as a Continuation of History
Guilherme d'Oliveira Martins
9 A Collection with Many Histories
Benjamin Weil
12 Ripple, by Phillip King
Ana Vasconcelos
14 Renaissance Head, by David Hockney
Ana Vasconcelos
16 Les Degrés, by Maria Helena Vieira da Silva
Rita Fabiana
18 Retrato de Grimau, by Paula Rego
Leonor Nazaré
20 Arcanjo, by João Cutileiro
Patrícia Rosas
22 Unknown title (Coty), by Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso
Patrícia Rosas
24 Retrato de Fernando Pessoa, by José de Almada Negreiros
Ana Vasconcelos
26 The Creation of a Collection: the first 'travelling exhibitions' of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation
Patrícia Rosas
36 The Collection of British Modern Art of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation
Ana Vasconcelos
46 Constructing and Constituting a Museum/Centre of Modern Art
Patrícia Rosas and Rita Albergaria
56 In the Time of Art Lovers: the Jorge de Brito Collection
Ana Vasconcelos
64 The Internal Bridge: the contribution of Jorge Molder 1994-2009
Leonor Nazaré
74 Permanent and Temporary: exhibitions & acquisitions 2006-16
Rita Fabiana
86 Intentio sine qua non
Antonia Gaeta
95 Selection of exhibited works
