Few locations in Europe are more synonymous with art and culture than Lisbon. With its many foreign influences emanating from Portugal’s rich naval past, the Roman occupation several millennium ago and the fact the country attracts thousands of visitors from around the globe every year, the selection of galleries available for students to visit is both impressive and varied.
Lisbon exhibitions tend to be held at a range of different locations, from old baroque buildings to modern galleries and art centres. Due to this diverse and eclectic mix of upcoming exhibitions, we, the Collegiate team have seen fit to do the hard work for you and profile our recommendations for this academic year. Although this won’t be an exhaustive list of every exhibition the city has to offer by any means, this should get you started nicely.
Berardo museum – Modern & contemporary art
The Museu Colecao Berardo should probably be your first port of call when looking for Lisbon exhibitions as it is highly regarded as the city’s best museum of contemporary art. There are temporary and permanent exhibitions here meaning you can visit frequently throughout the academic year and you can find works from the likes of Duchamp, Dali, Warhol and Lichtenstein. In terms of upcoming exhibitions at the Bernardo, you can enjoy the art from Pieter Hugo and a compelling set of photography from Joao Miguel Barrios. For more information, you can visit the Museu Berardo website by clicking here.
Museu da electricidade – Electricity museum
If you’re looking for exhibitions in Portugal that are a little out of the box, then a visit to Museu da Electridade is well worth a visit. Located in the heart of Belem, this exhibition centre is on the site of the old Tejo power station and regularly looks for new and innovative ways to represent the current state of energy in Portugal, and around the world. There is a main exhibition which is ever present but new features are added all the time and the best way to see what is currently on, is to head to their website.
Gulbenkian museum – Egyptian, Islamic & Oriental art
One of the most emblematic art museums in the city, the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum houses the Founder’s Collection, brought together by the Armenian Calouste Sarkis Gulbenkian, who will take you from Ancient Egypt to the present day. It is considered one of the best private collections of art in the world, hosting more than six thousand pieces, from antiquity to the beginning of the twentieth century.
The Modern Collection, one of the most complete collections of modern and contemporary Portuguese art, includes more than ten thousand pieces, from the end of the nineteenth century to the present day. You can now visit the temporary exhibition “Praneet Soi. Terceira Fábrica. De Caxemira a Lisboa, via Caldas”.
Museu Nacional de Arte contemporânea
By no means last in terms of quality, our final pick when looking for upcoming exhibitions in Lisbon is the Museu Nacional de Arte Contemporânea or National Museum of Contemporary Art. This exhibition centre is in the heart of the city and you may hear locals refer to it as the Chiado Museum or MNAC. This museum is perfect if you are on the hunt for modern day art which is strictly Portuguese, as it holds pieces from 1850 all the way up to the present day.
Not content with putting on new exhibitions all the time, this museum also offers an intriguing insight into the very latest perspective and interpretations of the art on show. In addition to this, the MNAC has quite beautiful gardens where you can take in all the great art and culture you are experiencing with a cold drink, beer or a cup of tea.
The current exhibitions at this museum include the Annual of Video, Portuguese Art: Reasons and Emotions and a fascinating look at Postmodernism called “Last Days”. Again, you can find out more about all of these upcoming exhibitions in Lisbon by heading to the museum’s dedicated website.
Luxury student accommodation in Portugal
We hope this guide to up and coming exhibitions in the city of Lisbon has been useful and acts as a good starter for you when looking for things to do in this great part of the world. If you are lucky enough to be heading to Lisbon for your studies for the forthcoming academic year, then be sure to take a look at the fantastic luxury student properties we have available. All of our Collegiate PT accommodation is state of the art and the epitome of sophistication, with all the mod cons you would expect and much, much more.
Click here to get a glimpse of what you can expect from one of our Lisbon residences.