Exhibitions 2016-2025

ROBERT MONAGHAN. Moving Marble.
Torre do Castelo de Evoramonte, Evoramonte, Portugal. 2 September – 1 November 2023.
Media: Video, photography, installation and sound.
 
Less than a century was enough for humans to excavate marble that had taken millions of years to form. Many of the quarries were abandoned decades ago, leaving behind landscapes that resemble lunar craters or vast inverted cathedrals. Nature is now slowly reclaiming these remarkable places.
In Moving Marble, the Irish artist, researcher and knight Robert Monaghan (Ireland) explores this unique landscape through photography, video and installation. The exhibition documents his observations, emotions and reflections on the relationship between industry, landscape and time. A soundscape by Alëna Koroleva (Russia) complemented the exhibition.

INGRID SIMONS. Onde Cresce a Esteva – A Luz do Alentejo (Where the Rock-Rose Grows – The Light of Alentejo).
Museu Nacional Frei Manuel do Cenáculo, Évora, Portugal. 22 April – 29 May 2023.
Media: Oil paintings, ceramics and graphic art.
 
The exhibition presented recent work of Ingrid Simons (The Netherlands), most of it created during her residency at OBRAS and inspired by the unique light of the Alentejo. The ceramic works were produced in collaboration with Luís Rosado and Xico Tarefa (Portugal).
The exhibition was curated and produced by the museum. OBRAS provided logistical support and public relations.

INGRID SIMONS. Ressonância da Terra.
Galeria D. Dinis, Museu Municipal de Estremoz, Estremoz, Portugal. 7 May – 25 June 2022.
Media: Paintings and ceramics.
 
This exhibition brought together a series of paintings, ceramic works, tojoba prints and a print on a transparent banner. Ingrid Simons (The Netherlands) used the landscape, megalithic monuments, and the starry night skies of the Alentejo as sources of inspiration, continuing her long-standing dialogue with the region.

SHERRY WIGGINS and LUÍS BRANCO. The Mirror Between Us.
Igreja de São Vicente, Évora, Portugal. 16 April – 4 June 2022.
Media: Photography.
 
A photographic exploration of the archetype of the middle-aged woman within a mythical landscape, in this case the surroundings of OBRAS and other sites in the Alentejo. In this collaborative project, Sherry Wiggins (USA; performance artist) and Luís Branco (Portugal; photographer) jointly conceived the location, scenes, and visual setting, and worked together throughout the editing and image selection process.
The exhibition opened with a musical performance by violinist Andreia Vaz (Portugal).

ROBERT MONAGHAN. Architecture of the Void.
INATEL Gallery, Palácio do Barrocal, Évora, Portugal. 6 June – 12 August 2019.
Media: Photography and video.
 
Through photography and video, Robert Monaghan (Ireland) explores the monumental marble quarries of the Estremoz Anticline as landscapes shaped by both industry and nature. The exhibition included a video featuring a performance by Phyllis Akinyi (Denmark), accompanied by a soundscape composed by Miguel Noya (Venezuela).

KATHARINA FRÖSCHL-ROSSBOTH. 31.
INATEL Gallery, Palácio do Barrocal, Évora, Portugal. 6 June – 12 August 2019.
Media: Photography.
 
A series of photographic portraits of thirty-one women, each aged thirty-one, exploring identity, individuality and shared experience.

YVONNE HALFENS. Mercado pelo Tempo.
Castelo de Evoramonte, Evoramonte, Portugal. 25 August – 15 October 2018.
Media: Ceramics and textile art.
 
Inspired by local traditions, materials and craftsmanship, this exhibition combined ceramic and textile works created during Yvonne Halfens’ (The Netherlands) residency at OBRAS and work created in The Netherlands, but inspired by her Portuguese experiences.
A selection of the exhibition remained on view at Herdade da Marmeleira from 16 October 2018 until 10 January 2019.

PHIL MOODY. White Works.
Palácio dos Marqueses da Praia e Monforte, Estremoz, Portugal. 29 June – 15 September 2018.
Media: Photography.
 
A photographic tribute to the marble workers of the Estremoz region, portraying their craftsmanship, working environment and enduring connection with the marble landscape. Phyl Moody (USA) focused on the workers of the San António marble quarry, and also presented historical photos of this quarry and its workers in 1901.  
Hosted by the Municipal Museum of Estremoz.

GAËLLE PELACHAUD. Áureas (Reflexões duma Cegonha).
INATEL Gallery, Palácio do Barrocal, Évora, Portugal. 19 April – 30 May 2018.
Media: Artist's books and drawings.
 
Centred on her long-term study of storks, Gaëlle Pelachaud (France) presented a series of artist-books and drawings. Through the subject of storks, the artist explored migration, landscape and memory.
The exhibition also featured related poetry by Maria Sarmento (Portugal) and a sound installation by Matthew Manowsky (USA).

ANDREA BRASCH. Cartaz de Amor.
INATEL Gallery, Palácio do Barrocal, Évora, Portugal. 19 April – 30 May 2018.
Media: Video, collage and virtual reality.
 
Andrea Brasch explored contemporary concepts of love, communication and personal identity through the love letters her grandparents exchanged during the Second World War. Drawing on this intimate family archive that Andrea inherited, the artist transformed personal correspondence into a multimedia exhibition.

KEVIN MORROW. Diaspora.
Castelo de Evoramonte, Evoramonte, Portugal. 23 September – 4 November 2017.
Media: Sculpture and installation.
 
Through a series of sculptures and installations, Kevin Morrow (USA) explored themes of migration, displacement, and cultural identity. The centrepiece of the exhibition was a dining table, symbolising the bringing together of people from different backgrounds.
At the opening, Márcio Pereira (Portugal) performed a dance piece that began about two hundred metres outside the exhibition space, visible only through the windows, and ended at the dining table.

SHERRY WIGGINS and LUÍS BRANCO. Reencontrando-a (Meeting Her Again).
Palácio dos Marqueses da Praia e Monforte, Estremoz, Portugal. 28 January – 11 March 2017.
Media: Photography and installation.
 
An exhibition exploring human relationships with the landscape through photography and installation. Sherry Wiggins (USA; performance artist) and Luís Branco (Portugal; photographer) jointly conceived the location, scenes, and visual setting, and worked together throughout the editing and image selection process.

JACOBIEN DE ROOIJ. De Longe e de Perto.
Palácio dos Marqueses da Praia e Monforte, Estremoz, Portugal. 25 March – 21 May 2017.
Media: pastel crayon drawings.
 
Jacobien de Rooji (The Netherlands)  presented a series of monumental drawings (some of them 2x3 meters), inspired by the Alentejo landscape.

INGRID SIMONS. Paraíso Escondido.
Galeria D. Dinis, Museu Municipal de Estremoz, Estremoz, Portugal. 17 June – 27 August 2017.
Media: Paintings and ceramics.
 
Inspired by the colours, light and landscapes of the Alentejo, Ingrid Simons (The Netherlands) combined paintings and ceramic works created during her annual residencies at OBRAS.

SCOTT SHERK and PAT BADT. Som + Cor.
Castelo de Evoramonte, Evoramonte, Portugal. 12 August – 25 September 2016.
Media: Sound installation and light installation.
 
An immersive installation combining Scott Sherk's soundscapes with Pat Badt's light compositions (both USA), transforming the historic castle into a multisensory environment.
More information is on the Som + Cor page.

MONICA MIRANDA. Between Departure and Arrival.
Palácio de Dom Manuel, Évora, Portugal. 2–30 April 2016.
Media: Photography, Installation.
 
In this exhibition, Monica Miranda (Portugal) reflected on the experience of travel, both physical and emotional.

GERRY VAN DER LINDEN and LUÍS BRANCO. Uma Estranha no Alentejo (A Stranger in the Alentejo).
Public Library of Évora, Évora, Portugal. 28 April – 28 May 2016.
Media: Poetry, photography and installation.
 
An exhibition about observing daily life. Gerry van der Linden (The Netherlands) presented poems in Dutch and Portuguese, together with installations, while Luís Branco (Portugal) showed photographs. The images were intended to be seen as independent visual poems rather than as illustrations of Gerry van der Linden’s poetry.
The exhibition resulted in the publication of the book Uma Estranha no Alentejo, published by Caminho das Palavras.

JAMES WESTWATER. Pegasus.
Castelo de Evoramonte, Evoramonte, Portugal. 18 June – 10 August 2015.
Media: Installation, painting and found objects.
 
The central work of the exhibition was an old motorcycle fitted with birds wings, referring to the mythical flying horse Pegasus. The installation was accompanied sculptural assemblages of found objects. With this exhibition James Westwater (USA) explored mythology, transformation and imagination.

ERDMUTE BLACH. Canções Silenciosas.
Palácio de Dom Manuel, Évora, Portugal. 4 April – 16 May 2015.
Media: Mixed media.
 
Erdmute Blach (Germany) presented abstract expressionist works, inspired by music and poetry (including poems from Tomas Tranströmer). The artist feels energized by situations where others assume something is lacking. For her, emptiness gives structure to the space, silence creates stories, and uncertainty is a source of innovation.
At the opening, Évora-based singer Mara gave a beautiful concert, performing with a variety of percussion instruments, some of which she had made herself.

INGRID SIMONS. Raios de Luz.
Museu Municipal de Estremoz, Estremoz, Portugal. 3 May – 21 June 2015.
Media: Paintings.
 
Ingrid Simons (The Netherlands) presented a series of oil paintings exploring the Alentejo landscape. One painting in particular showing a solitary, weathered holm oak standing in an abandoned landscape, inspired José Rodriguez dos Santos (Portugal) to write an essay on beauty and aesthetics in impressionism.

During the same period, Luis Godinho made a short film portrait of Ingrid.