The International Comics Festival in Beja, organized by the Beja Comic Library in partnership with the municipal council, will run until June 15, with most activities concentrated at the city’s Casa da Cultura.
The artistic director, Paulo Monteiro, stated today that featured exhibitions will include “The Paper Birds” by Iranian artist Mana Neyestani and “Mountain of Olives – 15 Drawings from Hassan” by Palestinian author Hassan.
Monteiro also highlighted the comic work “Murena” by Italian artist Théo, which focuses on Ancient Rome and will coincide with the Beja Romana festival occurring from June 6 to 8.
This 20th edition will feature artists from Germany, Angola, Brazil, Chile, France, England, Iran, Italy, Palestine, and Portugal. All exhibiting authors will attend the first weekend, according to Monteiro.
Some of the participating artists include Achdé, Amanda Baeza, Pierre-Henry Gomont, Roberta Cirne, Mana Neyestani, Theo, and Uli Oesterle, alongside Portuguese artists Ana Margarida Matos, José Lopes, Luís Louro, Manuel Monteiro, Pedro Nascimento, Paulo J. Mendes, Rui Pimentel, and Victor Mesquita.
Groups such as Cadáver Esquisito, Portugal em Bruxelas, and Toupeira will also present their works.
The event serves as an important platform to showcase comics authors from around the world, particularly highlighting regional talents with diverse styles and topics, bringing a more urban and contemporary perspective to the city in Alentejo, commented Monteiro.
The festival will also include project presentations, discussions with authors, book releases, autograph sessions, illustrated concerts, drawing marathons, guided tours, portfolio reviews, and workshops.
“We typically have around 10 to 11 thousand visitors. The festival fosters a unique environment that encourages interaction between authors, editors, and readers, which often leads to new projects,” the programmer noted.
The festival inauguration is scheduled for Friday at the Casa da Cultura at 9:00 PM, with all authors in attendance, followed by the first illustrated concert at 11:00 PM, featuring musician Faísco and artist Cristina Matos.
