Alcarte 2014 - Collective Exhibition

The opening of the collective art exhibition Alcarte, took place yesterday at buliding of the City Hall of Alcochete. For the 2014 edition, the organization chose the theme "Liberty or Liberties" in celebration of the 40 years of the national revolution "25 de Abril", which released Portugal from 41 of years of dictatorship, officially designated as Estado Novo. Until the 29th of August, visitors can enjoy the work of 26 artists, including painting, sculpture, photography and mixed media.

Swiss artist H. R. Giger dies at the age of 74

The renowned Swiss artist H. R. Giger, passed away yesterday in a hospital located in Zurich due to injuries sustained in a fall. He was 74 years old.

Hans Rudolf Giger was a surrealist painter, sculptor and set designer. He was widely known for his creatures and sets created for Ridley Scott's Alien films. As a result, he was awarded with an Oscar for special effects in 1980.
Giger also contributed with his work for Poltergeist II - The Other Side,  Tokyo - The Last Megalopolis, among several other films, as well for the computer game Dark Seed (1995).
He also did some work for recording artists and colaborated with Ibanez Guitars  for the H. R. Giger Signature Models.

Born in 1940, Giger moved to Zurich in1962 where he studied interior and industrial design at the School of Commercial Art in Zurich (from 1962 to 1965).
He had a relationship with Swiss actress Li Tobler untill 1975, when she commited suicide. In 1979 he married Mia Bonzanigo, but the divorced a year and a half later.



The work of the American horror fiction writer H. P. Lovecraft had great influence on H. R. Giger's art. Such is this that his compendium of images Necronomicon (there's a version with an introduction by Clive Barker) is a clear refererence to Lovecraft's made up book with the same name.
The original signed book is housed in the H R Giger museum at the Château St. Germain in Gruyères Switzerland.
Ernst Fuchs and Salvador Dali, to whom he was introduced by painter Robert Venosa were inspirations sources for Gigger who was also a personal friend of Timothy Lear.

Giger started with small ink drawings, then progessed to oil painting. During his career, he worked predominantly in airbush, but also created works with pastels, markers and ink.
Much of his work depicts surreal and monochromatic dreamscapes, often with biomechanical human bodies interconnected with a mechanical world as well as alien species and nightmarish elements. Several erotic references can also be found in his works.

The H. R. Giger Museum, housed in the Château St. Germain in Gruyère, Switzerland, holds a permanent repository of his work.  The artist lived and worked in Zürich with his wife, Carmen Maria Scheifele Giger, who is the Director of the museum.

Why You Should Invest in Art instead of buying Technology (This Time)

In the last two decades or so, and in particular in the last one, the desire to own the latest tech gadget has never been as high. Be it a smartphone, an MP4 player, a 3D TV set or a game console.

Some people, quite probably a minority, buy because they need them for their activity, be it a professional one or a hobby. But most people don't stick with what they need, they'll go on buying the latest model only to make them feel good, often in detriment of other priorities or choices.

There's nothing wrong about buying technology that help us with our lives, be it the personal one or the professional one, but to keep aiming for the latest tech gadget may not be the best way to go - what about that trip that you've always wanted to make?
When you go older, you'll not remember about some smartphone that you bought, you'll remember about places that you visited, people that you met, experiences that you lived.
As the saying goes: "Die with memories, not with dreams."

Although we like to place ourselves aside from other animals (maybe not as much nowadays as before) we are still animals and share the same planet. However, the one thing that most distinguishes us is our capability to create art - there's also that theory of creating tools, but that's arguable.

Art is a testemony of cultures, feelings, single and collective interpretations. It can teach, it can provoke.
With the access to technology, artists are now able to reach a vast public through websites, blogs and social networking. But the public can also access art and contact the artists who have created it or the galleries that represent them.

Owning an original work of art isn't exclusive anymore of some and is accessible to practically anyone.
Several artists and galleries offer instalment plans and art rental services.
Sometimes they can also come up with tailored options when necessary.

Next time you think about buying some techno gadget, why not take a few minutes to discover some artists on the web and maybe acquire something that you'll enjoy for many years to come and will pass to your children?
Spend some of your spare time going to galleries, museums and cultural events.
If possible go by foot or bycicle. You'll also be doing some exercise, as well as saving money and nature.

"Panorama" exhibition at Clube EDP Lisboa

The first solo exhibition of the Portuguese artist José Carrilho, is taking place at the Espaço Aníbal Afonso in the Lisbon branch of the Clube EDP, located at Av. Defensores de Chaves, 4-C (near Saldanha subway station).

 The "Panorama" exhibition features 15 of his best original landscapes and still-lifes, painted in oil and pastel.
It can be visited until April 24th, during week days (9h00 - 18h00). Admission free.

International Day for Monuments and Sites 2014

Today is the International Day for Monuments and Sites, with "Heritage of Commemoration" being chosen as the 2014's theme.

 ICOMOS Committees and other organizers from over 40 countries are offering several cultural activities to alert the public on the importance of the cultural heritage and the need for its preservation.

 Not only monuments and museums provide tangible forms of heritage. Mausoleums, monumental sculptures, cemeteries or memorial gardens, are also carriers of memory of the human experience. They contribute to the commemoration and transmission of values which include history. This heritage also includes elements that were given a commemorative value; for example, ruins or industrial vestiges accompanied by dedication plaques, or public squares whose toponymy commemorates a historical event or individual.

 The choice of "Heritage of Commemoration" was partly inspired by the centennial of the beginning of the Great World War of 1914-1918. The theme is an opportunity to present those constructions that have been intentionally created with the purpose of commemorating an event, a person, an idea, etc.

 ICOMOS ( International Council on Monuments and Sites) works for the conservation and protection of cultural heritage places. It is the only global non-government organisation of this kind, which is dedicated to promoting the application of theory, methodology, and scientific techniques to the conservation of the architectural and archaeological heritage.

Serralves Fora d'Horas (April 2014)

Serralves Fora d'Horas is an every-month event that invites the public for a visit during extended hours, together with cultural initiatives. During this 18th of April, the entries to the museum and park are free of charge during all day. This month's event concides with the International Day for Museums and Sites, this year with the theme "Heritage of Commemoration." There are several activities during the day that require pre-registration. Usually for only 25 people.