The reopening of the Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso Museum of Modern Art took place on December 5 at 6 p.m., marking the return of one of Amarante’s most important cultural venues.

The occasion was highlighted by the inauguration of the exhibitions “Amadeo’s Marginalia” and “Nadir Afonso: Territory of Absolute Freedom”, which bring into dialogue two central figures of Portuguese modern art.
Originally scheduled for November 14, the reopening was rescheduled to December 5 to ensure the completion of the museum’s refurbishment and climate control works, as well as the installation of the new exhibitions under ideal visiting conditions.

“Amadeo’s Marginalia”, curated by Samuel Silva, is dedicated to the lesser-known universe of Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso and is part of the Portuguese Contemporary Art Network (RPAC) program. The exhibition gathered, for the first time, around fifty works that reveal the artist’s most intimate and experimental side—from unpublished drawings found in his youth schoolbooks to graphic expressions in literary volumes from various private and institutional collections.

The exhibition also included pieces from the museum’s own collection, such as sketches, notes, letters, postcards, and emblematic paintings. According to the curator, “Amadeo’s Marginalia offers an expanded view of the artist’s work, highlighting risk, doubt, and experimentation as central elements of creation. The margin is presented as a space of freedom and questioning.” The show was on view until January 18, 2026.

At the same time, the exhibition “Nadir Afonso: Territory of Absolute Freedom”, curated by Alexandra Silvano, explored Nadir Afonso’s artistic journey within the context of European modernism. The artist collaborated in Paris with Le Corbusier and interacted with figures such as Vasarely, Léger, and Max Ernst before permanently abandoning architecture to devote himself to painting. The exhibition remained open until January 25, 2026.

This initiative is part of the project “Visual Landscapes”, approved by the Directorate-General for the Arts under the RPAC framework and coordinated by the Municipality of Amarante. The project includes the circulation of four exhibitions across four locations—Lisbon, Vila Nova de Foz Côa, Amarante, and Óbidos—until May 2026.

The Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso Museum of Modern Art is open to the public from Tuesday to Sunday, with an admission fee of €4.45 and various discounts available. More information at www.amadeosouza-cardoso.pt.