Art in Porto
11-28-2021I visited Portugal for my second time earlier this summer. This trip, I would be spending ten days in the northern city of Porto. Home to such delicacies as port wine and the gut busting francesinha. A sandwich not for the weak of heart. One of my favorite things to do in a new city is learning about any local artists, especially the local street artists. And there is no lack of art on the streets and in the great museums in Porto. My Airbnb happened to be a short walk from Rua de Miguel Bombarda. An excellent artery of the city to find some great galleries and art painted, pasted, or in some other form on the walls as you make your way from one end to the other. One gallery I stopped in had a collection of outsider art. The gallerist spent time showing me around the gallery and letting me in on the stories about the artists behind the art in the gallery.
Rua de Miguel Bombarda
Not too far from the city center is the Fundacao de Serralves. The museum is accessible by bus. But I decided to take an Uber, which only takes about fifteen minutes. Built in 1999, the museum is host to contemporary works of art and includes a large sculpture garden outside. On my visit, the museum had an extensive exhibit on Louise Bourgeoise, and they were getting ready to open the Ai Weiwei exhibit. I would have loved to see that as well, but at least I got to see them installing parts of it in the sculpture garden. The Serralves first popped onto my radar when I read that a man had fallen into Anish Kapoor's Descent into Limbo back in 2019 when I was spending time in Lisbon.
Treetop Walk at Serralves
In the garden, along with the sculptures, are a few more buildings. The beautiful art deco Serralves Villa is breathtaking. One of Louise Bourgeoise's spiders was on guard in front of the pink Villa. And the ponds and fountains stretch out in front. There is the House of Cinema and a small farm beyond that with horses and sheep. It was across from this pasture that I saw workers erecting a tall iron tree trunk, part of the Ai Weiei installation. The entire grounds are sprawling, and if you have the time, you can easily enjoy an entire day here.
MMIPO or Museu da Misericórdia do Porto you will find in the heart of the city. An extraordinary building and art space, the museum begins in the modern building before you make your way to the church. In the naturally lit atrium, sculptures by Alberto Giacometti and photographs by Peter Lindbergh were on display. There is a permanent collection of religious art from the 14th and 15th centuries, portraits, and equipment from the organization's charitable past. The Fons Vitae will leave a lasting impression. The painting shows a crucified Jesus in a fountain of blood. Around the fountain, you'll see Dom Manuel I ( king of Portugal from 1495 - 1521) and his family. When I paid for my ticket to the museum, I received a token redeemable for a glass of port at the bar on the top level. The bar has a small grassy, tree-shaded area with tables that overlooks the cathedral and the city below. I turned in my token and sat to enjoy a small glass of tawny port.
If you want to see art, but you aren't a fan of museums, then you're in luck. You'll see azulejos covering almost every building around, adorning regular old apartment buildings to hamburger joints and churches. The azulejos are the ornate tiles you won't be able to miss, and some will tell you stories of the country's history, like in the Sao Bento railway station. Here you'll see depictions of some of the country's historic battles.
Igreja do Carmo
The street art in Porto is something else that is hard to miss. There is plenty to see, and some local artists whose names you'll begin to see repeatedly as you navigate through the city. The first artist who caught my attention was Hazul. His work is everywhere. Following my trip, I went through my photos and saw his work in places I hadn't noticed during my trip. He has a unique style using curved lines and shapes that often include the madonna.
Vhils is an artist whose work I became familiar with when I was in Lisbon. His style is very different from any other artists I've seen. He does relief-style murals chiseled into the sides of buildings. Close to the river, there is the Look At Porto building, and there you'll see one of his murals. You can get here easily since it is located on a main street, not too much searching is needed. And the neighborhood it is in is beautiful. Next door is a really cool and funky antiques store that is worth checking out. A couple of other interesting artists I saw when I was in Porto were Berriblue and Costah. Berriblue has her own Azulejos that she creates her images on and plasters to walls around the city. And Costah has art everywhere you go, from simple and small works to large-scale murals. keep your eyes peeled as you wind through the streets of Porto, art is everywhere.
Know Before You Go
Fundacao de SerralvesOpen M-F 10am -6pm Sat & Sun 10am - 7pmGenera Ticket 20 EUR other options are availableR. Dom João de Castro 210, 4150-417 Porto, Portugalhttps://www.serralves.pt/
MMIPOOpen every day 10am - 5:30pmNon - resident tickets are 14 EURR. das Flores 15, 4050-265 Porto, Portugalhttps://www.mmipo.pt/
Artist Links
