Laboratório das Artes

Laboratório das Artes is a Portuguese cultural organisation and exhibition venue based in Guimarães. It began in 2001 as an informal group of artists following an artistic intervention in a commercial shop, the Espaço Provisório on Rua S. António in Guimarães, which lasted one year. After that period the owner of the premises, pleased with the project, ceded a late-nineteenth-century house at number 62 on Rua de Camões. From 2001 to 2005 the collective developed exhibitions, performances, music and experimental film screenings there, involving around two hundred artists from various disciplines and establishing the project as interdisciplinary. In 2004 the group carried out the EDUCARTE project — Education for Art — in S. Torcato, in the facilities of the Association for the Development of Local Communities, supported by the IPJ of Braga and aimed at underprivileged children. In June 2006 the collective moved to Rua Santa Maria, in the historic centre of Guimarães, opening with activities of the Projecto Teleférico (an exhibition on the Guimarães cable car). This was the first project supported by the Direcção Geral das Artes and brought together thirty renowned national artists in two moments: “Cais de Embarque” and “Operação Transbordo”. The house on Rua Santa Maria hosted conferences by Fernando José Pereira, José Guilherme Abreu and Maria Miguel Lucas, as well as film presentations by the Cineclube de Guimarães. After the Teleférico, in July 2006, the project “Casa Sincera” by artist Isabel Carvalho opened. In November 2007 the group created Projecto Fábrica in an old tannery. The organisation continues to operate as an exhibition and cultural programming space in Guimarães, presenting temporary exhibitions, performances and interdisciplinary projects. Its programme has included photography exhibitions such as “Costa Norte” (14 October – 18 November, 22h00), featuring the daily photographic record of architect @alexcoelholima, designer @joao.bernardino and journalist @kitato, and “A Multiplicidade do Gesto” (15 July – 27 August, 22h00), an exhibition on the language of drawing with a biographical note on painter António Gonçalves (b. 1975, Vila Nova de Famalicão). Another exhibition, “É sempre possível não olhar…”, ran from 27 May to 9 July. The venue is documented as having received support from the Direcção Geral das Artes and maintains a public presence through its website and social media.

Laboratório das Artes emerged as an informal group of artists and began in 2001 after an artistic intervention in a commercial shop — Espaço Provisório — on Rua S. António in Guimarães, which lasted one year. After this period, and pleased with the project, the owner ceded a house from the late nineteenth century at number 62 on Rua de Camões. From 2001 to 2005 the group developed exhibitions, performances, music and experimental film screenings in the space, counting around two hundred artists from various areas, making the project interdisciplinary. In 2004 it carried out the EDUCARTE project — Education for Art — in S. Torcato at the facilities of the Association for the Development of Local Communities, a project supported by the IPJ of Braga and aimed at underprivileged children. In June 2006 the collective installed itself on Rua Santa Maria, in the very centre of the historic centre of Guimarães, inaugurating with activities of the Projecto Teleférico (exhibition on the Guimarães cable car). It was the first to be supported by the Direcção Geral das Artes, which gathered thirty renowned national artists in two different moments: “Cais de Embarque” and “Operação Transbordo”. The house on Rua Santa Maria hosted conferences by Fernando José Pereira, José Guilherme Abreu and Maria Miguel Lucas, as well as film presentations by the Cineclube de Guimarães. After the Teleférico, in July 2006, it opened the project “Casa Sincera” by artist Isabel Carvalho. In November 2007 it created Projecto Fábrica, in an old tannery. The organisation has continued to present temporary exhibitions and cultural programming in Guimarães. Its programme has included photography exhibitions such as “Costa Norte” (14 October – 18 November, 22h00), with the daily photographic record of architect @alexcoelholima, designer @joao.bernardino and journalist @kitato, and “A Multiplicidade do Gesto” (15 July – 27 August, 22h00), an exhibition on the language of drawing with a biographical note on painter António Gonçalves (b. 1975, Vila Nova de Famalicão). Another exhibition, “É sempre possível não olhar…”, ran from 27 May to 9 July. A text by Luís Ribeiro, “Laboratório das Artes: 10 anos de investimento cultural em Guimarães”, was published in issue no. 5 of the magazine “Veduta – revista de estudos em Património Cultural” (Ed. Centro Cultural Vila Flôr (Oficina), 2011), documenting the project's first decade.

• 2011

  Luís Ribeiro's text “Laboratório das Artes: 10 anos de investimento cultural em Guimarães” published in Veduta magazine no. 5.

• 2007

  Created Projecto Fábrica in an old tannery in November.

• 2006

  Installed on Rua Santa Maria in the historic centre of Guimarães, inaugurating with Projecto Teleférico.

• 2006

  Opened “Casa Sincera” by artist Isabel Carvalho in July.

• 2004

  Carried out the EDUCARTE project in S. Torcato, supported by IPJ Braga.

• 2001

  Founded as an informal artists' group after an artistic intervention at Espaço Provisório, Rua S. António, Guimarães.

• 2001

  Moved to a late-nineteenth-century house at Rua de Camões 62, ceded by the owner.

An independent, interdisciplinary cultural laboratory and exhibition space in Guimarães, focused on contemporary art, performance and experimental practices.

• Costa Norte

  Photography exhibition with daily photographic records by architect @alexcoelholima, designer @joao.bernardino and journalist @kitato.

• A Multiplicidade do Gesto

  Exhibition on the language of drawing, with a biographical note on painter António Gonçalves (b. 1975, Vila Nova de Famalicão).

• É sempre possível não olhar…

  Exhibition presented at the venue.

• Projecto Teleférico

  Exhibition on the Guimarães cable car, first project supported by Direcção Geral das Artes, with “Cais de Embarque” and “Operação Transbordo”.

• Casa Sincera

  Project by artist Isabel Carvalho.

• Projecto Fábrica

  Project created in an old tannery.

• EDUCARTE

  Education for Art project in S. Torcato, supported by IPJ Braga, aimed at underprivileged children.

1. 1Laboratório das Artes official websitelaboratoriodasartes.wordpress.com
2. 2LAB – Aboutlaboratoriodasartes.wordpress.com
3. 3Laboratório das Artes – Wikidatawikidata.org