What did the original Barcelos rooster look like? What was popular art really like during the Portuguese dictatorship? Guided tours of this exhibition, which spans five decades, will take place once a month on Saturdays and are led by architects Alexandre Alves Costa and Sergio Fernandez, who began collecting these pieces when they were still students at the Porto School of Fine Arts. It was with Professor António Quadros (1933-1994) that they discovered the Minho barrister Rosa Ramalho (1888-1977). This meeting between professors, students and barristers from Barcelona drew attention to an expression of popular art that was under-appreciated and had an impact on local figurative art production. Rosa Ramalho's work gained national prominence and in 1964 she was awarded with the Arts at the service of the Nation medal.
From Alto Minho to Trás-os-Montes and the Alentejo regions, in a poor country, the students found the beauty of unadulterated authenticity, in stark contrast to the reality invented by the Portuguese dictatorship. In addition to mass production, Alexandre Alves Costa and Sergio Fernandez discovered handmade pieces while browsing the market stalls, recognising the existence of art objects that invited contemplation.
Tour visits are free, but registration is required on the U. Porto website.