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Exhibition

Forms of Desire

Rafael's Ceramics in the Bordalo Pinheiro Museum Collection

14 of December 2017 to 29 of September 2019

The exhibition, organised by Mariana Caldas de Almeida and Pedro Bebiano Braga, awarded an honourable mention by APOM – Portuguese Museology Association – highlights the most original and representative faïence pieces by Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro (1846-1905) belonging to the ceramics and tiles collection of the Bordalo Pinheiro Museum.

The exhibition narrative covers three aspects: the forms, functions and themes of around 150 pieces discerningly chosen for their originality and innovation. The visitor is invited to reflect on concepts such as tradition and modernity; artistic creation and industrial production; the construction of a national taste. In parallel, a dialogue is established between the ceramics and some of the artist’s graphic works, making clear the intrinsic relationships and mutual influence.

The tile, in turn, is presented as a different group: the formal and functional questions typical of this kind of piece are highlighted, with emphasis on the different themes and the way in which they connect with the rest of Rafael’s work.

The exhibition occupies two museum spaces: the Temporary Exhibition Gallery shows the ceramic pieces; the Ceramics Room, in the main building, houses the tiles. Visitors are challenged to take a fresh look at pieces of Bordalo’s artistic, utilitarian and tile work, particularly their relationship with his graphic work, painting and use of photography, adopting a cross-disciplinary approach to the work of Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro.