Italian Galleries in Lisbon: Figurazione at Monitor and Madragoa

Two Italian-run galleries in Lisbon, Monitor and Madragoa, are presenting exhibitions that highlight figurative painting and drawing, reflecting a shared sensibility rooted in Italian tradition. Madragoa, directed by Matteo Consonni, has organized a group show of young Portuguese artists born in the 1990s, discovered through studio visits. The exhibition is installed on two walls, mixing large and small works. Standouts include a dreamlike large canvas by Adriana Proganò, a disorienting video animation by Alice dos Reis, tiny gouaches by Eduardo Fonseca e Silva & Francisca Valador, ballpoint pen drawings by Sara Graça (who also makes urban interventions), giclée prints by Jaime Welsh, and a sound sculpture by Lea Mamagil that scratches the silence rhythmically. At Monitor, directed by Paola Capata, the show is titled "piccole note sulla figurazione" (small notes on figuration). It features Italian artist Thomas Braida with two small paintings (one on slate with transparent resin) that are intimate and lyrical, departing from his usual surreal and disturbing atmospheres. The other two artists are Portuguese: Eugénia Mussa, who transforms stills from amateur videos into serene daily scenes using broad brushstrokes and layered fluorescent tones; and Daniel V. Melim, who presents two paintings on wood depicting street scenes with prematurely hardened children and puppeteers, reflecting on the human condition. Both exhibitions run until July 25, 2020.