There is a new museum in Lisbon. The Julião Sarmento Pavilion opens its doors to the Portuguese artist’s private collection, who died in 2021, at 72. There are dozens of works gathered in a space designed to arouse the senses and the curiosity of those who visit it.
It is on the top floor of the Julião Sarmento Pavilion that the largest number of pieces of the collection is. There are almost 50 works, including photographs, paintings and sculptures, all chosen and collected by Julião Sarmento throughout his life. Going down the stairs, one comes to the mezzanine, a privileged point overlooking the main gallery on the ground floor. This is where the temporary exhibition is found, with 25 works, which will be evident until April.
But the route does not end there. At the Julião Sarmento Pavilion, art can come up anywhere – even in the bathrooms. Going down one more floor, you reach the basement, where the gallery is installed to the cinema is installed. This is where a more discreet work surprises those who look at the ceiling: an installation made purposefully at space. The debris left by the letters that compose it are stored in a box, and are part of the piece.
In all, Julião Sarmento’s personal collection has over 1,400 works. Throughout his career, the artist has exposed in museums and galleries around the world. In this space, it is its highlighted collector facet.
The building where the pavilion is now operating was an ancient abandoned port warehouse. It was the artist himself who chose him, and the recovery project was carried out by architect Carrilho da Graça. Inaugurated just over a month ago, the space has received more than 3,500 visitors.
