ESAD.CR represented in initiative in Porto

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A professor and ceramicist from Caldas da Rainha is curating an exhibition at the Soares dos Reis Museum. A technician from the workshop was on the jury that selected the works.

“Affinities” is the name of the exhibition curated by ESAD.CR professor Vítor Reis, which opened its doors to the public on July 26th, at the Museu Nacional Soares dos Reis, in Porto. The professor of the Product Design – Ceramics and Glass degree was responsible for selecting the 39 pieces on display in this exhibition, which will be on display at the museum in Porto until the end of the year.

Vítor Reis also invited Rita Frutuoso, a technician from the ESAD.CR Ceramics and Glass Workshop, to join the jury for this project.

The exhibition is the result of a project promoted by the Quarteirão Criativo association, in partnership with the museum, which hosts the exhibition until November. Vítor Reis explained to Gazeta das Caldas that he enjoyed the challenge, which he readily accepted since it involved some experimentation in the ceramics field. He was also interested in participating in this event, which aims to invigorate Porto's creative sector and focuses on creating synergies between local artists and the Soares dos Reis National Museum. It was the first time that this author, who is a visual artist and ceramist, was invited to be a curator, an experience he appreciated because “innovative, experimental and interdisciplinary proposals competed for the initiative”. The initiative asked artists typically represented by shops and galleries in the Bombarda Quarter to submit 50 cm x 50 cm ceramic works that were somehow connected to the eighteenth- and nineteenth-century paintings in the museum's collection. There were even artistic proposals from artists with "no prior connection to the world of ceramics," the professor explained.

"It was a great experience, especially because it aims to create synergies and bridges between the museum, the local community, and the shops and galleries in the Miguel Bombarda area," said Vítor Reis.

He also explained that there had already been a previous initiative, more focused on jewelry, and that, like this one involving ceramics and some sculpture, it was very successful. In total, there will be a cycle of five editions, with annual themes, which will include exhibitions, workshops, and conversations that will connect the creative community of the Bombarda neighborhood with the history and collection of the Soares dos Reis National Museum.

"I met open-minded people eager to establish new connections," said the author, who helped with the organization, rules, and selection and editing of the works. In his opinion, this initiative had territorial characteristics, as it was aimed at authors with ties to Porto. According to the curator, this exhibition features the participation of ESAD.CR students and alumni who also wanted to be part of these "Affinities," especially because they are from that region of the country. Rita Frutuoso also enjoyed the challenge of participating in the selection of pieces for this exhibition.

Visitors vote for their favorite pieces “I thought it was all very inclusive,” said the ceramist, who also said that at the opening of the exhibition at the Porto museum, visitors were invited to vote on the pieces they liked most.

The author, also from Porto de Mós, is currently completing an artistic residency at the Convent's workshops in Montemor-o-Novo, working in the Ceramics and Earth Workshop there. Rita Frutuoso is pursuing her PhD in Communication Design at the Lisbon Fine Arts Institute. After investigating the similarities between the worlds of cooking and ceramics during her Master's in Product Design at the Caldas School of Arts, and even creating chocolate pieces on a potter's wheel, she returns to studying the intersections between the fields, following recipes from Maria de Lurdes Modesto and the technical connections between the worlds of food and ceramics.

"Affinities" is on display until November 29, when the best ceramics proposal will be announced. In addition to the partnership with the Quarteirão Criativo Association, the exhibition was sponsored by the Super Bock Group and supported by the Dr. José de Figueiredo Circle – Friends of that museum.

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