Lisbon and Porto's Art Scene Transformation Amid Economic Shifts and International Attention
Since Portugal's financial crisis in 2011 and the subsequent €78 billion IMF-EU bailout, Lisbon and Porto have experienced notable transformations. In 2016, tourism surged to 11 million visitors, surpassing the country's population of 10.3 million, while real estate values climbed sharply despite stagnant wages. The minimum wage stands at €677 per month, the lowest in Western Europe. Lisbon has seen an influx of international galleries, lured by tax benefits and ties to Brazil and Angola, prompting journalist Celso Filipe to remark that Portugal is 'colonised by Angolan investment.' New cultural institutions like the MAAT museum, which opened in October 2016, and the Museu Coleção Berardo, which drew over a million visitors that year, have emerged. Porto's vibrant art scene, featuring the Serralves Museum, faces challenges from real estate speculation affecting local artists.
Key facts
- Portugal received a €78 billion IMF-EU bailout in 2011
- Tourism reached 11 million visitors in 2016, exceeding Portugal's population of 10.3 million
- Portugal's minimum wage is €677 per month, the lowest in Western Europe
- MAAT museum opened in Lisbon in October 2016, designed by Amanda Levete
- Museu Coleção Berardo attracted over 1 million visitors in 2016
- Kunsthalle Lissabon was founded in 2009 by Luís Silva and João Mourão
- Serralves Museum in Porto opened in 1999, designed by Álvaro Siza
- Property prices in central Lisbon rose 13% from 2016 to 2017
Entities
Artists
- Mariana Silva
- Tris Vonna-Michell
- Rodrigo Hernández
- Luís Lázaro Matos
- Joe Berardo
- Tobias Rehberger
- Shirin Neshat
- Matt Mullican
- Gusmão & Paiva
- Gabriel Abrantes
- Álvaro Siza
- Eduardo Souto de Moura
- John Baldessari
- Rita McBride
- Mauro Cerqueira
- André Sousa
- Ana Manso
- Silvestre Pestana
- Stephan Dillemuth
- Alexandre Estrela
- Ana Jotta
- Eduardo Guerra
- Musa paradisiaca
Institutions
- The Guardian
- CNN
- IMF
- EU
- Arco
- Jornal de Negócios
- Galeria Francisco Fino
- Madragoa
- Monitor
- Maisterravalbuena
- MAAT
- Kunsthalle Lissabon
- Parkour
- Sala Bébé
- The Barber Shop
- Museu Coleção Berardo
- Centro Cultural de Belém
- Pedro Cera
- Filomena Soares
- Cristina Guerra
- Galeria Zé Dos Bois
- Culturgest
- Caixa Geral de Depósitos
- Serralves Museum
- Galeria Pedro Oliveira
- Uma Certa Falta de Coerência
- Maumaus
- Lumiar Cité
- Artissima
- Portugal’s National Institute of Statistics
- ArtReview
Locations
- Lisbon
- Portugal
- Porto
- Madrid
- Brazil
- Angola
- Sintra
- London
- Berlin
- New York
- Rato district
- Alvalade area
- Avenida da Liberdade
- Santo António