Galeria Municipal do PortoGaleria Municipal do Porto

Programmes
Silvestre Pestana
Collapse, curated by João Laia
14.03 — 28.06.2026

Saturday, March 14, starting at 5pm

Collapse: Silvestre Pestana

A key figure in Porto's contemporary art scene, Silvestre Pestana is a pioneer of visual poetry, performance, video art and electronic and digital art whose exploratory practice began in the 1960s. This exhibition showcases a new, large-scale installation entitled Collapse, which builds upon his rigorous analysis of the impact of technology on our society.
Curated by João Laia

Opening: 14.03.2026, 5-8pm

Floor 1 | Admission is free

Image credits: Dinis Santos

14 March, between 5 and 8 pm

Collapse: Activation based on the piece "Atomic Act"

Atomic Act is Silvestre Pestana's first poem-object, consisting of a rubber balloon symbolising an atomic explosion and the resulting perverse repercussions of war.
 
Created in 1969, this piece will be activated during the exhibition's opening in a performance without prior notice, emphasising the sudden and disruptive nature of the action.
 

Saturday, 28 March, at 4 pm

Collapse: Guided exhibition tour with artist Silvestre Pestana

Join artist Silvestre Pestana on this guided tour to learn more about the works featured in his exhibition, Collapse, curated by Patrícia Coelho at GMP.
Tour in Portuguese

Admission is free

Image credits: Silvestre Pestana

Saturday, 4 April, at 3 pm (PT) and 4 pm (EN)

Guided tours of the three exhibitions

Find out more about the three exhibitions on display at GMP by joining a guided tour led by the GMP team. 
3:00 pm: Tour in Portuguese
4:00 pm: Tour in English

Admission is free

Sessions for schools and organised groups by appointment: galeriamunicipal@agoraporto.pt

Thursday, April 23, between 10 and 6 pm

Screening of Computer Poems, by Silvestre Pestana

Integrating the public programme for the Collapse exhibition by artist Silvestre Pestana into the joint celebration of the 25^(th) anniversary of the Galeria Municipal do Porto building and the Almeida Garrett Municipal Library, we present the Computer Poems series, created by the artist between 1981 and 1983.

 
Computer Poems comprises three visual poems generated using the first microcomputers: the Spectrum and the Sinclair ZX81. These pioneering works of visual poetry were created using technological devices and developed in the wake of the 1974 revolution and the experimentalism of the PO-EX (Portuguese Experimental Poetry) group in the late 1960s.
 
Pestana dedicates each Computer Poem to three artists who have greatly influenced his work: E. M. de Melo e Castro and Henri Chopin, who were key figures in visual, experimental and concrete poetry; and Julian Beck, an avant-garde poet, actor and director who founded the historic Living Theatre.

Works:
Silvestre Pestana
Computer Poem for ZX81 dedicated to E.M. Melo e Castro, 1981
Video, b/w, silent, 4:3, 3’55’’.
Ed.1/3
 
Silvestre Pestana
Computer Poem for ZX81 dedicated to Henri Chopin, 1982
Video, b/w, silent, 4:3, 4’51’’.
Ed.1/3
 
Silvestre Pestana
Computer Poem for Spectrum dedicated to Julian Beck, 1983
Video, b/w, silent, 4:3, 2’38’’.
Ed.1/3
 
Works donated by the artist to the Collection of the Serralves Foundation – Museum of Contemporary Art, Porto, in 2022.
 
 
 
 
The screening will run on a loop all day between 10:00 and 18:00.

Venue: BMAG Auditorium

Admission is free

Image:
Silvestre Pestana
Computer Poem para ZX81 dedicado a Henri Chopin, 1982
Vídeo, p/b, s/som, 4:3, 4’51’’.
Ed.1/3

Saturday, 2 May, at 3 pm (PT) and 4 pm (EN)

Guided tours of the three exhibitions

Find out more about the three exhibitions on display at GMP by joining a guided tour led by the GMP team. 
3:00 pm: Tour in Portuguese
4:00 pm: Tour in English

Admission is free

Sessions for schools and organised groups by appointment: galeriamunicipal@agoraporto.pt

Saturday, 6 June, at 3 pm (PT) and 4 pm (EN)

Guided tours of the three exhibitions

Find out more about the three exhibitions on display at GMP by joining a guided tour led by the GMP team. 
3:00 pm: Tour in Portuguese
4:00 pm: Tour in English

Admission is free

Sessions for schools and organised groups by appointment: galeriamunicipal@agoraporto.pt

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