Horror Vacui
21 march 2026 — 24 january 2027
Curator: Marta Jecu
More than a fixed concept Horror Vacui functions as a diagnostic tool, revealing cultural ways of negotiating emptiness.
In this exhibition, dozens of anthropomorphic figures from the Treger Saint Silvestre Collection—animals, machines, spirits, humans, monsters, and angels—open up a tumultuous field in which anarchy and excess act as defenses against uncertainty.
A significant part of the exhibition is shaped by the philosophical contribution of the Portuguese author Gonçalo M. Tavares. The text he wrote specifically for this occasion is presented as a sound piece, resonating throughout the galleries and accompanying visitors as they move through the space.
Artists Adérito Almeida, Agnès Baillon, Alain Lacoste, Alfredo García Revuelta, Anónimos, António Saint Silvestre, Blalla W. Hallmann, Franck Lundangi, Giovanni Battista Podestà, Guilhermina Júlia, Hans Verschoor, Jaber (Al-Mahjoub Jaber), Jean Camille Nasson, Jean-Jules Chasse-Pot, Jean Duranel, Joaquim Baptista Antunes, Joaquim Paiva, Joaquim Vicens, Gironella, José de Guimarães, Josette Rispal, Kazumi Kamae, La Mère François, Lionel Saint Eloi, Martine Orsoni, Mathias et Nathalie, Maureen Visagé, Michel Gouéry*Adérito Almeida, Agnès Baillon, Alain Lacoste, Alfredo García Revuelta, Anónimos, António Saint Silvestre, Blalla W. Hallmann, Franck Lundangi, Giovanni Battista Podestà, Guilhermina Júlia, Hans Verschoor, Jaber (Al-Mahjoub Jaber), Jean Camille Nasson, Jean-Jules Chasse-Pot, Jean Duranel, Joaquim Baptista Antunes, Joaquim Paiva, Joaquim Vicens, Gironella, José de Guimarães, Josette Rispal, Kazumi Kamae, La Mère François, Lionel Saint Eloi, Martine Orsoni, Mathias et Nathalie, Maureen Visagé, Michel Gouéry*, Reinaldo Eckenberger, Reinata Sadimba, Roland Roure, Rosa Ramalho, Serge Jolimeau, Simone Le Carré-Galimard, Susanne Themlitz, Terry Turrell, Vitalis Čepkauskas*, Wabé (Véronique Achard), Xurxo Oro Claro, Ymène Chetouane.
* Work with audio description
Marta Jecu She is a research assistant at CeiED, an interdisciplinary research center at Lusófona University in Lisbon. For the past three years, she has worked at the Imera research laboratories at Aix-Marseille University in Marseille and at the Fondation Maison des Sciences de l’Homme in Paris. She also works as an independent curator: in 2017, she launched the research and curatorial project EXODUS STATIONS. She curated the exhibitions “Artists, Heritage, and The Museum” and “Stone Alive,” both part of the France-Portugal season; Tadashi Kawamata’s solo show at MAAT in Lisbon; and, in 2017, George Bodocan’s solo show at the Romanian Cultural Institute in Paris, among others. She has organized several international conferences in Germany, Portugal, and France. She edited the volumes *Subtle Construction*, *Bypass*, Malmö, Lisbon, 2011; and *OPEN MONUMENT*, Revolver Verlag, Berlin.
Gonçalo M. Tavares is the author of a vast body of literary work that has been translated in several countries. His style, which breaks with Portuguese lyrical traditions, and his subversion of literary genres make him one of today’s most innovative European writers. His books have inspired plays, art installations, art videos, and operas. He published the book *Atlas of the Body and the Imagination*, which spans literature, philosophy, and the arts, exploring imagery and a variety of themes.
SIDE PROGRAM
March 29 | 11:00 a.m. | Guided tour led by Bruna Santos
April 30 | 1:30 p.m. | Pausa dedicated to Josette Rispal with Bruna Santos
28 de maio | 13:30 | Pausa dedicada a Michel Gouéry com Mariana Rocha
June 11 | 1:30 p.m. | A pause dedicated to Guerreiro Bizango with Joana Ribeiro
June 26 | 11:00 a.m. | Guided tour led by Bruna Santos
December 2 | 6:00 p.m. | A Conversation with Gonçalo M. Tavares
_finalversion
Exhibition views © Dinis Santos
