Lisbon is trending and we can feel it. Even though the buzz has been on for some time, the art panorama has now the same light as the city. The golden glow of activity and movement that the new millennia brought to the portuguese scene is warming for the national crowds. It is also an exotic destination in the horizon for a lot of cultural tourists. While the Portuguese are being distinguished in some of the highest honours an artist can achieve, Lisbon’s own street canvases are being lauded for their impact and importance. It seems that our own art tradition has slowly boiled into these sunny days we get to experience. 

CRISTINA GUERRA

Cristina Guerra’s gallery was founded in 2001, after a cold-call to Lawrence Weiner’s NYC studio. The outcome was Lawrence’s sold-out solo exhibition in Lisbon. Cristina’s gallery continued to shine in our artsphere, representing established international artists such as John Baldessari and Erwin Wurm. It’s portuguese roster is composed by artists such as Julião Sarmento and João Louro, who are taken to an international context by participating in art-fair circuit. And Cristina is amongst the heavyweights with a bang, always present in the Art Basel and Art Basel Miami Beach.

Address: Rua Santo António à Estrela 33 - Website: www.cristinaguerra.com

MURIAS CENTENO

Founded in Oporto in 2007 by Nuno Centeno, the gallery changed its name when Bruno Murias became a partner. The new name brought a new location and a second space was unveiled in Lisbon in 2014. They have already displayed works from emerging and established artists such as Max Ruf, Secundino Hernandez and Dan Rees. With consequent presences in the Ar.co fair in Madrid, Murias Centeno shows the influence that Portuguese galleries have been building in the Iberian and European context. 

Address: Rua Capitão Leitão 10/16 - Website: www.muriascenteno.com

PEDRO CERA

Pedro Cera is a gallery open since 1998 in Lisbon. Located near Estrela, this gallery presents about six different shows a year since its inception, representing Portuguese and international artists such as Adam Pendleton and Vitor Pomar. Another example of the national art fever, Pedro Cera is present in the international art fair circuit by participating in fairs such as Ar.co, Artissima and Art Basel. 

Address: Rua do Patrocínio 67 - Website: www.pedrocera.com

GALERIA BAGINSKI

Andrea Baginski Champalimaud founded Galeria Baginski in 2002, a space in Principe Real dedicated to photography. Ten years and a warehouse later – a really big one in Beato - Andrea presents an eclectic roster of artists in all mediums. Showcasing works from artists such as Paulo Bringhenti and Vasco Araújo has won Galeria Baginski a distinct place in the Lisbon gallery map. It will be present in the 2015 edition of Ar.co Madrid. 

Address: Rua Capitão Leitão 51/53 - Address: www.baginski.com.pt

GALERIA FILOMENA SOARES

Galeria Filomena Soares was born with a noble purpose: making the work easier for the Portuguese artistic production and exhibiting. Since 1999, the gallery has shown remarkable works from national and international artists, such as Peter Zimmermann, Helena Almeida and João Penalva. With a strong bet on the art fair circuit, this gallery is present in more than ten events every year, in household names such as Art Brussels, Ar.co Madrid, Paris Photo and Art Rio.

Address: Rua da Manutenção 80 - Website: www.gfilomenasoares.com

PEDRO ALFACINHA

This is the youngest gallery on the Aujourd’hui's gallery guide. Pedro Alfacinha was founded in 2014, displaying mainly photography in its first year. Working with artists such as André Príncipe and John Divola, we foresee a bright future for this new space. 

Address: Rua de São Mamede 25 - Website: www.pedroalfacinha.pt

APPLETON SQUARE

Appleton Square wishes to bring together indisputable names of the creative national scene – be it visual artists, designers or architects – mixed with the emerging production, on the brink of joining the mainstream. The gallery was founded in 2007 with a solo exhibition by Lawrence Weiner and has already displayed the work of Pedro Cabrita Reis, José Pedro Croft, Miguel Palma and Jorge Molder. This topnotch talent makes it a very interesting gallery. Or square. 

Address: Rua Acácio Paiva 27 - Website: www.appletonsquare.pt

VERA CORTES ART AGENCY

Vera Cortês opened for business in 2003 as an art agency. With an exhibition program that has brought some remarkable names to Lisbon, Vera Cortês also collaborates with other venues such as hotels, embassies and hospitals to showcase the artists it represents. One of the major artists that the agency has championed is Portuguese Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, giving him his first solo exhibition. The gallery in Lisbon also has its own bookshop inside. 

Address: Avenida 24 de Julho 54 - Website: www.veracortes.com

GALERIA UNDERDOGS

Underdogs was founded by Alexandre Farto as a cultural platform. Its first group exhibition was a partnership with Vera Cortês. In 2013 Underdogs opened its own gallery space, directed by Pauline Foessel, a former gallery manager at Magda Danysz Gallery in Shangai. Underdogs project is divided between a gallery, a public art program and the production of artist’s editions. It has worked with national and international artists such as Olivier Kosta-Théfaine, MaisMenos, Alexandre Farto and Clemens Behr.

Address: Rua Fernando Palha 56 - Website: www.under-dogs.net

KUNSTHALLE LISSABONE

The Kunsthalle Lissabone – founded in 2009 - calls itself a scam, but only in a strictly grammatical point of view. And there is a joke behind this name. After all, a Kunsthalle is a german word for an art mounting facility often operated by a non-profit Kunstverein or “art association”. The punchline is that founders João Mourão and Luis Silva chose this name to prove that they can have quality work in their program without the funds or dimensions of a museum or real kunsthalle. Believing that while exhibiting work from Pedro Barateiro and Amalia Pica is dead serious. 

Address: Rua José Sobral Cid 9 - Website: www.kunsthalle-lissabon.org