Singular Spirit
16 may — 12 october 2025
Curator: Martine Lusardy
Exhibition views Singular Spirit presents a wide selection of artists and reference works that explore the universe of art brut, gathered over more than four decades in the Treger Saint Silvestre Collection. Founded by Richard Treger and António Saint Silvestre, this collection reflects an ongoing interest in languages that challenge conventions, proposing new ways of seeing and interpreting the world. The works stand out for escaping established codes, offering innovative readings and alternative ways of naming reality.
In addition to the authors traditionally associated with the founding moments of art brut, the exhibition also includes artists and practices from more recent and varied contexts, broadening the understanding of this artistic universe.
ARTISTS A.C.M., Adolf Wölfli, Agnès Baillon, Albino Braz, Alexander Lobanov, Alfredo García Revuelta, Aloïse Corbaz, Anna Zemánková, Anónimo (Angola), Anónimo (Brasil), Anónimo (EUA), Artur Moreira, August Walla, Augustin Lesage, Barbara Demlczuk, Carlo Zinelli, Carolein Smit, Charles Schley, Dado (Miodrag Djuric), Damián Valdés Dilla, David Houis, Derrick Alexis Coard, Dexter Nyamainasche, Dwight Mackintosh, Edmund Monsiel, Ergasto Monichón, Erró (Guðmundur Guðmundsson), Eudes Menichetti, Eugene Von Bruenchenhein, Foma Jaremtschuk, Franco Bellucci, Fred Deux, Friedrich Schröder-Sonnenstern, Gaël Dufrene, George Widener, Gerald DePrie, Giovanni Battista Podestà, Giovanni Galli, Gorgali Lorestani, Guo Fengyi, Henry Darger, Henry Speller, Ida Buchmann, Jacques Deal, Jaime Fernandes, James Deeds, Jesuys Crystiano, Jimmy Lee Sudduth, Johann Hauser, Johannes Stek, John Henry Toney, Jorge Alberto Cadi, Josef Wittlich, Karl Hans Janke, Kostia Botkine, Lee Godie, Louis Pons, Luboš Plný, Marc Giai-Miniet, Marcel Bascoulard, Marco Berlanda, Margarethe Held, Marilena Pelosi, Martha Grünenwaldt, Mary T. Smith, Mettraux, Michail Paule, Michèle Burles, Miroslav Tichý, Misleidys Francisca Castillo Pedroso, Mónica Machado, Mose Tolliver, Pascal Tassini, Paul Goesch, Pierre Molinier, Pietro Ghizzardi, Prophet Royal Robertson, Raphaël Leonardini, Raphaël Lonné, Scottie Wilson, Terry Turrell, Théo (Théodore Wagemann), Thornton Dial, Tomás Vieira, Tomasz Machciński, William Hawkins.
Singular Spirit is the result of a joint project between the Oliva Art Centre (S. João da Madeira), the Treger Saint Silvestre Collection, on deposit at this institution since 2014, and the Halle Saint Pierre (Paris). The exhibition and catalogue were first presented in Paris in 2024 under the title L’Esprit Singulier.
Martine Lusardy has been the director of Halle Saint Pierre in Paris since 1994 – a cultural space in Montmartre entirely dedicated to art brut and other unconventional forms of artistic creation Over the last few decades, she has been responsible for defining the institution’s curatorial project and has organised more than 80 exhibitions, playing a key role in promoting and internationalising art brut beyond the French-speaking world. At the same time, she maintains an intense research activity dedicated to discovering new creators. She is also a curator, lecturer and essayist. In 2018, she published the book Art Brut, published by Éditions Citadelles et Mazenod.
SIDE PROGRAM
18th May | 11:00 | Guided tour by Mariana Rocha
22nd May | 13:30 | Pause dedicated to Dexter Nyamainasche by Joana Ribeiro
5th June | 13:30 | Pause dedicated to Marilena Pelosi by Mariana Rocha
Exhibition views © Dinis Santos
