On June 8, 2023, Fortes D’Aloia & Gabriel (Brazil) is pleased to invite kurimanzutto (Mexico and USA) to collaborate on the 2023 Summer Exhibition at Comporta. Based on the desire to establish alternative models and collaborative projects, Casa da Cultura Comporta will host 18 contemporary artists for a group show throughout July and August, representing the convergence of narratives and desires from both galleries. Fortes D’Aloia & Gabriel and kurimanzutto have worked together to achieve a curatorial outcome that embodies their unique identities.
In the words of Alexandre Gabriel, one of the partners and directors of Fortes D’Aloia & Gabriel, “This is the third iteration of an expanding project that has already brought positive returns and enriching relationships beyond the physical boundaries of a gallery/exhibition/art fair. Casa da Cultura is the result of the renovation of an old rice barn that has operated as a cinema and cultural center for the region since the 1960s. The promoting entity of Casa da Cultura is Fundação Herdade da Comporta, a non-profit organization working with the local community to promote inclusion and sustainability. The previous two editions gave us an idea of the scale and reach of this space to host curators, artists, and gallerists in a summer vacation destination that allows for spontaneous encounters and more organic connections. This year, we decided to embark on a more ambitious project in partnership with kurimanzutto. The intersection of the two galleries' programs is an opportunity to see works that bring together genres, approaches, and concepts from different geographies and backgrounds.”
As with previous editions, the exhibition will occur in two parts, with distinct timings and themes, featuring a notable selection, including new works. The first part, opening on July 8, focuses on the natural world as something external. The works explore the abundance of forms in the universe of phenomena, translated into artistic devices that blend the natural and the artificial. The systemic logic visible in gardens, landscapes, and architecture is present in sculptures, photographs, and paintings, where artists combine formal organization tactics with specific configurations of organic and built spaces. Featuring works by Abraham Cruzvillegas, Álvaro Lapa, Anderson Borba, Gabriel Orozco, Haegue Yang, Leonor Antunes, Luiz Zerbini, Marina Rheingantz, Mauro Restiffe, and Wilfredo Prieto.
The second part of the exhibition, opening on August 5, brings together works that address ways of representing the body, from unconscious reveries to mystical narratives. Departing from a strict separation between mind and matter, the works focus on the allusive potential of heterogeneous materials, incorporating sensory information beyond the purely visible. The artists compress multiple chronologies into objects that carry traces of manuality and manifest a resonance with natural rhythms and cycles. Featuring works by Adriana Varejão, Damián Ortega, Erika Verzutti, Ernesto Neto, Márcia Falcão, Nairy Baghramian, Sergej Jensen, and Sofía Táboas.
“This project reflects the collaborative spirit that Fortes D’Aloia & Gabriel has nurtured from the beginning,” says Maria Ana Pimenta, international director and spokesperson for the exhibition, explaining the motivations behind this artistic initiative. She adds, “This format gives us the freedom to establish dialogues with partner galleries, fostering new synergies. Furthermore, the more artistic and creative aspect of the region is increasingly vibrant, paving the way for Comporta to become an idyllic location for a summer exhibition.”
Monica Manzutto, co-founder of kurimanzutto, adds, “We are thrilled with this invitation from Fortes D’Aloia & Gabriel, given that collaboration has been part of kurimanzutto since its inception. Promoting dialogues and encounters between artists from different regions and generations is a practice we value. The location where we will present this exhibition allows both galleries to maintain a foothold in Europe while bringing new perspectives from the international art scene to this fantastic region.”
After two editions, the summer pop-up gallery at Casa da Cultura Comporta is set to host a new and exciting edition with prominent names from the international scene. An idyllic location between the ocean and rice fields, Comporta has long been a vacation destination, and this project establishes itself as a means to enrich the cultural and artistic horizon with a proposal that goes beyond the usual.
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