A tennis racket, a toilet seat lid, a life jacket, fishing nets, a rubber boot, a black sneaker, and a blonde-haired doll are among the objects displayed in “Cleaning the Planet,” the first exhibition of the new PortoCartoon Museum, which holds an international collection of over 20,000 caricatures from the PortoCartoon World Festival legacy.
The items for the “Cleaning the Planet” exhibition were collected from beaches in Porto, Vila Nova de Gaia, and Matosinhos, showcasing the kind of waste a fish might encounter at the bottom of the sea.
“Cleaning the Planet,” the inaugural exhibition of the new PortoCartoon Museum, is uniquely situated in a room lined with iron that once served as the former vault of the Bank of Portugal, as the historic Palácio das Artes building in Largo de São Domingos was for many years a branch of the old Banco de Lisboa, the precursor to the Bank of Portugal.
“In this exhibition, humor acts as a magnifying glass on the absurdities of our relationship with the environment: from an addiction to disposable plastic to political promises as green as asphalt,” states the press dossier provided to journalists.
In an interview, Manuel Fernando, the presiding judge of the Brotherhood of the Clerics, explained that the Porto Cartoon Museum “intends to be an open space for all” and also aims to “internationalize” its reach.
“I would be immensely pleased to see an exhibition of caricatures of Ronaldo in Argentina, for the natural humor it could offer,” remarked Manuel Fernando, noting that temporary exhibitions are also planned to reach audiences in hospitals, nursing homes, and charitable institutions, among others.
The new PortoCartoon Museum will also unveil two temporary exhibitions this Saturday, October 8.
“Greta Thunberg” is the name of one temporary exhibit that visitors can view at the new museum. It merges the art of caricature with the world of the young activist, capturing highlights from her solitary school strike in Stockholm, Sweden, to the pivotal moments that established her as a global voice for climate justice.
The second temporary exhibition is titled “Ronaldo” and showcases various caricatures of the celebrated Portuguese football player.
In this display, the art of caricature offers a lens into Cristiano Ronaldo’s world, chronicling his journey from early days kicking a ball on the island of Madeira, where he was born, to his becoming a “global sports icon.”
Asked why a new museum was created in Porto, Manuel Fernando noted there was “a certain gap” in content related to caricature and graphic humor “in Porto and even the country.”
“There is nothing quite like it. There was something in the National Printing Museum, but due to various difficulties not worth listing now, the space closed to the public. We felt it was a shame, almost an irreplaceable loss at a time when there is also a readiness to look at reality, and in such gray, intolerant times, it’s important to view reality and have a way it makes us think differently.”
According to Manuel Fernando, in addition to seeking to restore a quality image of Porto Cartoon, the museum aims to revitalize the works, for which they hold property rights for 20 years.
The new museum is the result of a partnership between the Clerics Tower, the National Printing Museum, and PortoCartoon, with a mission to “promote, preserve, and enhance the cartoon as an artistic expression and social critique, creating a dynamic platform for dialogue between art, humor, culture, tourism, and major contemporary world issues,” as stated in the press dossier.
The initial budget for the new museum was approximately 50,000 euros, with investment split between the Brotherhood of the Clerics and private entities, but additional costs include space rental, museum maintenance, and staff salaries, explained Manuel Fernando.
Tickets for the new museum range from three euros for children, four euros for those over 65, and five euros for adults, but on the opening day, entry will be free, confirmed Manuel Fernando.
