The Ministry of Culture launched this Thursday the eighth edition of Mostra Espanha, the biennial festival of Spanish culture in Portugal, which takes place between September and December and includes more than 40 activities of music, dance, theatre and contemporary art in different parts of the Portuguese geography.
The aim of the initiative is to showcase the dynamism and creativity of the Spanish cultural industries at the present time, and to offer experiences for cultural dialogue between the two countries that will allow for the creation of common projects in the immediate future.
This was stated by the Minister of Culture, Ernest Urtasun, at the inauguration of the programme in Lisbon, together with the Minister of Culture of Portugal, Dalila Rodrigues.
The event, according to Culture, took place at the Museu de Arte Contemporânea MAC/CCB, where the ‘Invited Work’ of this edition, ‘El abrazo’ (1976) by Juan Genovés (Valencia, 1930-Madrid, 2020), was presented. The work, from the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, will be on display at the Lisbon centre until 24 November.
In her speech, Urtasun stressed that “art and music, cinema, dance, theatre, heritage and literature, present at Mostra Espanha, embody the spirit of citizen participation and access to creation that defines our cultural rights.”
“The festival is a celebration of culture, public conversation and democracy, everything that is at the core of the valuable bond between Spain and Portugal, a bond that transcends time and has always made us better,” said the minister.
The choice of ‘The Embrace’ is in line with the binational project ‘Portugal-Spain. 50 years of culture and democracy’ which, in this edition, is part of Mostra Espanha. Thus, in addition to promoting cultural dialogue between both countries, this year’s programme proposes a reflection on the processes of transition to democracy in Portugal and Spain.
In fact, it was the reason for the first concert on the bill, the dialogue between the RTVE Symphony Orchestra and the Portuguese pianist Marta Menezes that took place last Friday at the IKFEM Festival in Valença do Minho, a symphonic musical programme created for the occasion, evoking the shared history.
MUSIC, DANCE, THEATRE AND CONTEMPORARY ART
Throughout the month of September, Mostra Espanha will host a diverse range of activities in fields such as music, contemporary art, theatre, dance and cinema. Since last Saturday, September 7, the exhibition ‘The Threads of Memory’ by the artist Josep Grau-Garriga can be visited in Guimarães.
With the help of the festival, Spanish dance will be present at the Dance Fortnight, with the International Choreographic Platform-Destaque Espanha, which will take place on September 19 at the Fernando Lopez Auditorium-Graça de Almada.
For children, the Mari Paula Danza Company will hold a workshop on body expression and performance at the Giner de los Ríos School in Lisbon on 18 and 19 September.
In theatre, ‘The Gift of Zeus’, produced by the Mérida Classical Theatre Festival and starring Emma Ozores and Juan Meseguer, will be presented on 19 September at the Teatro Capitólio in Lisbon.
There will also be room for cinema. Mostra Espanha will participate in Queer Lisboa (Festivais Interacionais de Cinema Queer), where a selection of Spanish films will be shown between 20 and 28 September at the Cinema So Jorge and the Cinemateca Portuguesa.