When I think of the many moments that have led to the cultural intersection this exhibition represents, some in a more distant past, some much more recent, I am reminded not only of my fondness for the people behind it, but also my wonderment at the art and artists it contains. <\/p>\n
I first met Ben Jakober and Yannick Vu at their foundation, Sa Bassa Blanca, more than two decades ago. A friend, the French Cultural Attach\u00e9 for Portugal, knew of my love for modern art, and suggested we visit the Mallorca-based centre for art. I remember being welcomed as friends and marvelling at the \u2018Nins\u2019 collection, portraits of royal children from between 16th and 19th centuries. This was the first of many coincidences and meetings over the years with Ben, many in Marrakech, including a visit to the Museum of African Contemporary Art Al Madeen (MACAAL) in 2021 with my daughter. It was here, in this stunning building, that I made my very first acquaintance with the Artists of Essaouira. I was immediately wowed by the work from this school of artists from the small coastal city, especially as I had never been in contact with it before. The size of some of the works, the richness of the colour palette, the mysticism they evoke \u2013 I was hooked. <\/p>\n
The involvement of Ben and Yannick and their foundation in this MACAAL show, supplying many of the works on display from their collection, proved fundamental in the journey towards the fruition of the exhibition we are presenting now in the Palace of the Dukes of Cadaval. Given our fascination with this art school, it was nothing less than fate when Ben Jakober suggested our venue as perfectly suited for an exhibition he has long hoped to put on \u2013 one that featured pieces from his foundation\u2019s collection, works by Essaouira artists alongside works by aboriginal Australians. The invisible ties between these distant art movements are powerful, as this exhibition will reveal \u2013 both driven by the impulse of outsiders and \u2018social activism\u2019, both sharing formal similarities and both dealing in inner emotions instead of the representation of the real. <\/p>\n
This culmination of moments and coincidences brings us an exciting opportunity to once again bring fresh and innovative content to our cultural programme here at the palace. Ever since my decision, back in 1998, to give the city of \u00c9vora a cultural venue it deserves, with the first \u00c9vora Cl\u00e1ssica music festival, in conjunction with the Gulbenkian Institute, I have had the immense pleasure of seeing numerous festivals and exhibitions pass through the palace and its grounds. This is a public service in which I take great pride, bringing cultural colour from around the world to the centre of Portugal, and beyond.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
When I think of the many moments that have led to the cultural intersection this exhibition represents, some in a more distant past, some much more recent, I am reminded not only of my fondness for the people behind it, but also my wonderment at the art and artists it contains. I first met Ben […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-345","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n