Centro Cultural de Belem.

Centro Cultural de Belem, Lisbon.

The stylish, pink marble Centro Cultural de Belem was built to host Lisbon's 1992 presidency of the EU. It's now one of the city's main cultural centres, containing the Berardo Collection and hosting regular photography and art exhibitions, as well as concerts and shows.

The Berardo collection, a unique collection of modern art was amassed by wealthy Madeiran Joe Berardo, Portugal's answer to Charles Saatchi or Francois Pinault. It contains some of the world's top modern artists. We loved it and visited three times.

An impressive entrance

to this massive building

We had to walk through vast open spaces,

before reaching the entrance to the art gallery.

Jean Dubuffet, L'Arbre Biplan, 1968

Juliao Sarmento, Alma, 2015

The main lobby

Julio Pomar, Dreamer, 2007

Juliao Sarmento, A House to Hide (with trapeze), 2006

Seen from the floor above

Joana Vasconcelos, Aladino, 1999

The courtyard, or Jardim da Agua

Niki de Saint-Phalle, Les Baigneuses, 1985

Looking down onto the courtyards below

amazing mosaics

pools in the courtyard itself, hence the name of the courtyard

and planting

a small planted island in the middle of one of the pools

Alberto Carneiro, Arvore, 1999-2000

Henry Moore, Reclining Figure: Arched Leg, 1969-70

Christina Ataide, Untitled, 2020

Fernanda Fragateiro, Caixa (desmontagem), 2, 2006

 

Finally, looking out over the parapet, a piece of street art, which I think is the work of Alexandre Farto, aka Vhils, whose large and striking works are often chiseled into brickwork using pneumatic drills. (You can see another of his works here )