Three of the eight motions of condolence were presented and voted on today by the Assembly of the Republic.
The motion of condolence for the death of Eduardo Batarda was presented by the Socialist Party, mourning his passing on September 19 at the age of 81. He was recognized as one of the most influential visual artists of the second half of the 20th century in Portugal.
“He leaves us with a disconcerting body of work that irreverently refuses to define the boundaries of art and painting, standing out at every moment in a demanding and erudite manner, by crossing various languages and fields of knowledge,” the motion states.
Eduardo Manuel Batarda Fernandes was born in Coimbra at the end of October 1943. He initially pursued a medical course, which he left in 1963, to study painting at the School of Fine Arts in Lisbon and later at the Royal College of Art in London.
“His work was recognized by the public, his peers, and various national and international institutions, and is part of the collections of several museums and public collections, making Eduardo Batarda an unmissable figure in Portuguese cultural and artistic life,” the motion adds.
This year, Eduardo Batarda was a “central figure” at the Contemporary Art Biennale in Maia.
He received the EDP Foundation Prize for Plastic Arts in 2007 and the Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso Grand Prize in 2019, and in 2020 was awarded the Cultural Merit Medal by the Ministry of Culture.
Meanwhile, the Social Democratic Party presented a motion of condolence for the death of off-road and enduro pilot Jorge Brandão, who passed away on October 17 following a fall during the final stage of the Morocco Rally, just a few kilometers from the finish line in Erfoud.
He was 46 and competed with the Old Friends Rally team.
“Jorge Brandão died doing what he loved most: competing, challenging limits, and living his passion for motorcycles and adventure. He did so with the same spirit that always distinguished him: determination, serenity, and love for the sport,” the motion highlights, emphasizing his “integrity, team spirit, passion for adventure and motorcycling, and example of perseverance and courage.”
Jorge Brandão, at 46, is the second Portuguese motorcyclist to die in competition, following Paulo Gonçalves, who lost his life during the seventh stage of the 2020 Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia, at age 40.
The Liberal Initiative presented a motion of condolence for the death of Sofia Corradi, born in Rome and founder of the Erasmus program, who died at 91.
“With her, we lose one of the most notable educators and visionaries of the European project, responsible for one of the most transformative initiatives of European integration: the Erasmus student exchange program,” the Liberals emphasize.
Throughout her life, Sofia Corradi was honored with several accolades, including the title of Commander of the Italian Republic and the Carlos V European Award, presented by King Felipe VI of Spain.
