As part of the 50th anniversary commemorations of the 25 de Abril, the Consulate-General of Portugal in Macau and Hong Kong and the Portuguese Institute of the Orient (IPOR) present the exhibition “AS ARTES ESTÃO NA RUA! | PORTUGAL 1974-1978”.
The exhibition concludes a commemorative cycle that began on March 23, 2023, and runs until December 2026, marking both the 50th anniversary of the Portuguese Constitution and the 1976 electoral cycle.
Curated by Margarida Brito Alves and Cristina Pratas Cruzeiro, the exhibition draws from the visual and artistic production of Portugal’s revolutionary period (1974–1978), developing a narrative focused on the relationship between art and public space.
It highlights public space as a site for civic participation, education, and expression.
The 25 de Abril revolution of 1974 triggered a significant wave of artistic and cultural production across multiple disciplines. This included traditional forms such as painting, sculpture, and photography, as well as experimental media like performance, video, and multimedia formats.
During this period, many artists engaged directly with governmental bodies and contributed to initiatives supporting the revolutionary process, including public murals, posters, and graphic materials.
At the same time, several artist collectives emerged, such as Grupo Cores, Grupo ACRE, Grupo Puzzle, Grupo 5+1, Grupo Vermelho, Grupo IF – Ideia e Forma, Grupo 8, and Grupo 42, challenging the boundaries between individual and collective, public and private, and artistic and political expression.
With institutional cultural circuits disrupted or suspended, the street became a primary space for artistic practice, functioning both as a venue and a medium for art.
This dynamic is explored in the exhibition through five thematic sections: Celebration, Cooperation, Participation, Communication, and Dissent.
The exhibition, an original creation by IPOR, inspired and advised by Catarina Cortesão Terra, member of the Consular Advisory Council in Macau, will be open to the public free of charge at the garden of the Consulate-General of Portugal in Macau and Hong Kong from April 12 to June 30.
