The idea of a center unable to fulfill its role as an aggregator suggested by the exhibition’s title, encapsulates both the (anti)theme of the show and the approach that guided the selection of the artists and artworks featured. In this sense, The Centre Cannot Hold intends to present a diverse perspective on the national artistic context by showcasing a deliberately eclectic group of artists from different generations and who work across a wide array of mediums. Instead of trying to propose a singular national identity, identify stylistic trends, or thematic affinities, the exhibition aims to present works who share an interest in the use of unconventional materials, techniques, subjects and inspirations, alongside a common desire to challenge singular meanings, dominant perspectives and other unifying forces. By presenting these varied, divergent, and atopical practices, the show aims to redefine a “center” by highlighting some of the practices that stray from it and claim, in the spirit of Roland Barthes, “their sovereign right to wander off the point” as a fundamental aspect of their artistic explorations.
alongside Alice dos Reis, Diogo Pinto, Gabriel Abrantes, João Pimenta Gomes, Lourdes Castro, Maria Paz Aires, Pedro Henriques, Pedro Moreira, Sérgio Carronha, Tomás Abreu
photos giorgio benni