Joana Vasconcelos, Portugal’s best-known contemporary artist and the creator of the famous Marilyn shoes made from pots and pans, has brought together more than 30 Valentino dresses and placed them alongside her giant sculptures. That is how MAAT is marking its 10th anniversary — and the exhibition has pretty much eclipsed everything else happening in Lisbon’s art scene right now. Davier Sevi managed to get in early this morning (if you arrive around opening time, the wait is only about 10 minutes):
It is hard to imagine a more fitting setting for this exhibition than MAAT. The architecture, scale and natural light make the whole thing genuinely spectacular.
For all its visual glamour, the exhibition has a clear thread running through it: women’s roles and feminism. Vasconcelos’s giant shoes are made from pots, pans and lids, while other pieces are built from irons — objects associated with domestic, often invisible female labour, transformed into monumental works of art.
And then there is Valentino’s idealised, almost plastic version of femininity. That collision is one of the most interesting parts of the exhibition for me.
Music adds another layer, changing from room to room: Frank Sinatra, Amália Rodrigues, Shostakovich’s Waltz No. 2, and completely different moods throughout. Shostakovich instantly took me to Eyes Wide Shut, and from there straight into Christmas mode: evening gowns, lights, glamour, a touch of decadence and the feeling of a beautiful celebration with something slightly unsettling underneath.
So the only thing I would change is the time of year. In October, it feels a little too early for all these associations. In November or December, though, VENUS would fit the mood perfectly.
Just a reminder: today and tomorrow, you can theoretically get in for free as part of the museum’s 10th-anniversary celebrations. But be prepared for queues.
📅 October 2 – February 22
📍 MAAT, Belém
