Exhibition at Casa-Museu Bissaya Barreto brings together art, archives, and care in a new project by Hugo Barata

The exhibition “CUIDADORIA: abraçar, constelar, outrar“, presented at the Casa-Museu Bissaya Barreto in Coimbra, marks a significant new project by Hugo Barata, artist, professor, and integrated researcher at CICANT and member of the MeLCi Lab. Developed in collaboration with Ana Rito, the exhibition is part of the Convergent Programme of Anozero – Bienal de Arte Contemporânea de Coimbra, running from 11 April to 5 July 2026.

Aligned with this year’s biennial theme, “Holding, giving, receiving,” the project proposes a critical and conceptual expansion of care as both an эстетical and ethical practice. Through the verbs “embrace,” “constellate,” and “other,” CUIDADORIA explores curatorial practice as a form of attention, hospitality, and relational engagement. Rather than simply organising works, the exhibition positions itself as a space for listening, coexistence, and the acknowledgement of fragility.

Barata and Rito bring to this project more than 25 years of collaborative work, continuing a trajectory that includes projects such as Pequenos monumentos que atestam o início da possibilidade (2015) and CONSTELAÇÕES: uma coreografia de gestos mínimos (2019–2023). Their ongoing research investigates the intersections between art, archive, and memory, combining experimental artistic and curatorial approaches with sustained engagement with collections and archival materials.

In CUIDADORIA, this methodology is further developed through a reflexive curatorial process. Drawing on their own artistic practices, the artist-curators activate archives, libraries, and the Casa-Museu Bissaya Barreto’s collection, recontextualising existing materials and narratives. These elements are re-staged and placed in dialogue, generating new constellations in which the past is critically rearticulated within the present.

The exhibition features a body of work created specifically for this occasion, spanning multiple media, including video, film, photography, painting, sculpture, and installation. Together, these works construct a relational field in which care operates not only as a theme but also as a structuring principle and a form of cultural and political expression.

A public programme of events will accompany the exhibition, and the official catalogue is scheduled for release before July 2026.

Photographic credits: Filipe Furtado