Helena Almeida
Helena Almeida (1934) was born in Lisbon, where she lived until 2018. She undertook a degree in Painting at Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Lisbon, Portugal. She won several awards, such as Prémio Estremadura de Criação (Spain, 2008), Prémio BES Photo (Portugal, 2004), Prémio PhotoEspaña (Spain, 2003) Prémio Casa América (Spain, 1997), XI Tokyo Biennial (Japan, 1979),European Engraving Biennial, Mulhouse (France, 1978),International Biennial of Cagnes-sur-Mer (France, 1976), etc.
Wondering about the language of painting, Helena Almeida developed her art through photography, performance and drawing. Since the early 1970’s, she creates complex visual compositions using her own body, dressed in black, and other objects or furniture found in her studio. Her artworks are not self-portraits, as she insists, but a project that involves the relationship between space and time and between the artist and the image. Evolving from videos and drawings, her photographs gain autonomy and legitimacy and explore the possibilities of achievements and production of culture in the contemporary society.
Her work is included in many prestigious international collections, such as: Banco de Espanha, Madrid; Bibliotheque National de Paris; Berardo Collection, Lisbon; Tate Modern, London; Fundación ARCO, Madrid; Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Lisbon; Serralves Museum, Oporto; Fundació Telefonica, Madrid; Galeria Helga de Alvear, Madrid; Galerie Bama, Paris; Galerie Drehscheibe, Basel, Switzerland; Hara Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo, Japan; MUDAM – Musée d'Art Moderne Grand Duc Jean, Luxembourg; MEIAC – Museo Extremeno e Iberoamericano de Arte Contemporáneo, Badajoz, Spain; MACBA – Museu de Arte Contemporânea de Barcelona, Spain; Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid and Colletion Sammlung Verbund di Viena, Austria.
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AQUI SOMOS REDE
With the participation of Noé Sendas | Pedro Casqueiro | João Pedro Vale e Nuno Alexandre Ferreira | Helena Almeida
Curated by Sara Antónia Matos, João Pinharanda, Miguel von Hafe Pérez, David Silva Revés, João Silvério,
Museu de Arte Contemporânea de Elvas
15/07/2022 - 15/08/2022
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Rehearsal for a community
With the participation of Carlos Roque | Francisco Queirós | Helena Almeida | João Pedro Vale e Nuno Alexandre Ferreira | Vasco Araújo | Pedro Casqueiro | Maria Trabulo
Curated by Paulo Mendes
Fundação EDP, Lisbon, PT
24/04/2021 - 07/03/2022
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Que horas são que horas - Uma galeria de histórias
With the participation of Maria Trabulo | Helena Almeida
Curated by José Maia, Paula Parente Pinto and Paulo Mendes
Galeria Municipal do Porto, Porto, PT
17/12/2020 - 25/04/2021
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De Outros Espaços
With the participation of Pedro Casqueiro | Helena Almeida
Curated by Pedro Gadanho e João Silvério
Galeria Municipal do Porto, Porto
08/06/2019 - 18/08/2019
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O Depósito Caótico: Obras da Coleção Norlinda e José Lima
With the participation of João Pedro Vale e Nuno Alexandre Ferreira | Helena Almeida
Curated by Miguel Amado
Centro de Artes de Águeda, Águeda, PT
11/05/2019 - 17/11/2019
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Trabalho Capital: ensaio sobre gestos e fragmentos
With the participation of Miguel Palma | Helena Almeida
Centro de arte Oliva, São João da Madeira, PT
Uma exposição-instalação comissariada por Paulo Mendes a partir da colecção Norlinda e José Lima.
13/04/2019 - 13/10/2019
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Half the sky
With the participation of Susana Anágua | Helena Almeida
Fundação Arpad Szenes-Vieira da Silva
Curated by: Pedro Cabrita Reis
21/03/2019 - 23/06/2019
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Criteria
With the participation of Helena Almeida | Miguel Palma | Vasco Araújo
Galeria do torreão nascente da Cordoaria, Lisbon
30/01/2019 - 21/04/2019
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Press
A grande rota da Raia: o melhor da arte portuguesa está em Elvas
De Expresso / Celso Martins
Helena Almeida
Obras de Noé Sendas e Helena Almeida provenientes da Coleção Norlinda e José Lima, na Biblioteca de Elvas.