The opening of the MACAM, a new museum with an adjacent luxury hotel, saw attendance figures that “surpassed all expectations,” according to a representative. Throughout the opening hours from 10:00 to 19:00, crowds formed both inside and outside the premises.
Located in the Palácio Condes da Ribeira Grande on Rua da Junqueira, the museum debuted with 215 pieces, approximately a third of Armando Martins’ collection, displayed in both a permanent exhibition and two temporary exhibitions in a newly constructed wing and the garden.
Over the course of three days, MACAM offered a program of “mediation and participation,” including half-hour meetings with key artworks featured in the permanent exhibits titled “Uma Coleção a Dois Tempos” in two of the four galleries set to open.
Under the direction of art historian Adelaide Ginga, the permanent exhibit features works from the period of naturalism and the first generation of modernist movements. Featured artistic movements include Surrealism, the new figuration, and the intersection between landscape and architecture.
The exhibit showcases prominent artists such as Paula Rego, Maria Helena Vieira da Silva, José Malhoa, Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso, Almada Negreiros, Eduardo Viana, Pedro Cabrita Reis, Julião Sarmento, Rui Chafes, José Pedro Croft, and Lourdes Castro, among others.
The oldest piece in the Armando Martins collection, displayed in the first room of the permanent gallery, is by artist José Malhoa (1855-1953), titled “A sesta dos ceifeiros”.
International artists featured include Gilberto Zorio, John Baldessari, Albert Oehlen, Antoni Tàpies, Antonio Ballester Moreno, Juan Muñoz, Santiago Sierra, Pedro Reyes, Carlos Garaicoa, Marepe, Rosângela Rennó, Vik Muniz, and Isa Genzken.
In the museum’s new contemporary wing, two temporary exhibitions are showcased. “Antropoceno: em busca do novo humano?” explores the Anthropocene’s impact on the planet, while “Guerra: realidade, mito e ficção” examines global geopolitical conflict and its complexities.
The inaugural program also features the MurMur project, which invites emerging artists to create works for the large walls of the new building’s entrance. The first invited artist is Marion Mounic, presenting the installation “Harem”.
MACAM offers a unique concept in Portugal, functioning both as a museum and a five-star hotel with 64 rooms, each displaying artworks.
“This project is a museum that has a five-star hotel, not a hotel with a museum. The hotel is to ensure the sustainability of the museum project,” emphasized Armando Martins, collector, entrepreneur, and president of the Fibeira Group, which operates in real estate, hospitality, and services, during a journalist tour of the new cultural space in Lisbon.
The facilities include a restaurant and a fully restored, deconsecrated chapel that will function as a bar and a venue for cultural events, including music, theater, and poetry.
Following the opening, the museum will open from Wednesday to Monday, 10:00 to 19:00. Admission is 15 euros for all exhibitions, 12 euros for both the permanent exhibit and one temporary exhibition, and 8 euros for the permanent exhibit alone. Each temporary exhibition visit costs 6 euros.
Discounts of 50% will be available for youth aged 13 to 18, students up to 25, and visitors over 65, while teachers will receive a 20% discount.
Admission is free on the first Sunday of each month from 10:00 to 14:00.
