MAC/CCB Opens in Lisbon with Five Inaugural Exhibitions

On October 28, 2023, the MAC/CCB Museum of Contemporary Art/Cultural Center of Belém reopened in Lisbon, integrating the Centro Cultural de Belém with the nearby Museo Galeria Berardo. This new establishment features three significant private art collections now managed by the state: the Berardo Collection, comprising 900 works from artists like Picasso, Miró, Mondrian, Richter, and Bacon, which was confiscated in 2019 after José Berardo defaulted on nearly €1 billion in loans; the Ellipse Collection, with 860 pieces gathered by the late banker João Rendeiro, who escaped to South Africa and passed away in prison in September 2022; and the Teixeira de Freitas Collection, emphasizing conceptual art and artist books, lent by Brazilian collector Luiz Teixeira de Freitas. The museum launched with five exhibitions, including On Continuous Drawing and Cross a Burning Bridge. The search for an artistic director is underway, with a decision anticipated in December. According to Portuguese Minister of Culture Pedro Adão e Silva, this opening signifies a new era in the Centro Cultural de Belém's 30-year journey.