Bordalo in Transit

Bordalo in Transit is the title of a proposal created in preparation for the renovation of the museum’s long-term exhibition. During this waiting period, we enthusiastically welcome visitors, as always, while we pay homage to our great artist Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro. Embark on a journey through the artist’s work with this exercise that revisits some of his favourite themes and oers a plural and informed interpretation of his talent, creativity and notable capacity for work.

Bordalo in the Mirror imagines a highly entertaining biography: through self-portrait, of which he was a master, the artist presents and transfigures himself, challenging the sense of observation of unsuspecting viewers, inviting laughter and invoking astonishment: how many Bordalo Pinheiros can one fit into a single portrait?

In Zé Povinho, Identity and Politics, Bordalo Pinheiro’s foremost creation, the glorious Zé Povinho, displays both his determination and, naturally, his lack thereof. This symbolic representation of the Portuguese people is endowed by a character and attitudes towards power that range from indierence and passivity to a desire to react and take up the role of an active, responsible citizen. Zé Povinho puts Maria’s patience to the test as he shrinks under the weight of the pack on his back or brazenly delivers an “Up yours!” to his “oppressors”, while freeing himself from the load, in a gesture laden with a philosophical bent. The genius of Bordalo Pinheiro’s creation has been proven by the passage of time and by the fact that the character continues to inspire appropriations by other artists nearly 150 years later.

Bordalo at the Table celebrates a theme that was dear to the artist’s
body and spirit: the lavish dinner table. Food and gastronomy enriched
his graphic work and opulent ceramic pieces. In settings both realist
and comic, from the simplest vegetable to the more ceremonial meal,
food serves as a metaphor for political and social critique – without
mincing words. Here we are given references to good cooks and
establishments where one’s appetite can be sated as opulently as one
wishes; we are shown labels and ads that the artist created as a
designer, and functional and decorative pieces, including two dinner
services produced in the Caldas da Rainha Faience Factory.

Bordalo in Transit is a proposal to reinterpret Bordalo Pinheiro’s
themes in light of the current day, with a precious note that humour
and a critical spirit can be the perfect allies for building an active,
participatory and constructive citizenship.