Sowing the seeds of Serralves

José Rodrigues, Ângelo de Sousa, Armando Alves and Jorge Pinheiro, the so-called ‘four twenties’, are just some of the renowned artists linked to the history of this artistic cooperative who began this process of renewal that intensified with the dawn of democracy in Portugal. It was on 10 June 74, two months after 25 April, that a group of intellectuals linked to Árvore, but also to Teatro Experimental do Porto, Seiva Trupe and Cineclube do Porto, gathered at Casa das Virtudes and ‘started a procession called “Burial of the Soares dos Reis Museum”, which ended precisely at the museum, which represented the stronghold of academia,’ says Manuel. It was a symbolic protest movement, a performative act by artists who wanted ‘the burial of academism’. ‘These artists wanted to put an end to the repetition, to the point of nausea, of traditional 19th century models, and they wanted to open up new horizons for art. It was this movement that gave rise in 1976 to the Centre for Contemporary Art, which in turn later gave rise to Serralves,’ concludes the executive director.

Rejuvenating is an art in and of itself

In recent years, many exhibition spaces and galleries run by artists have appeared in Porto, and keeping up with these movements ‘is also a challenge’ for the Cooperative. ‘Sixty years after its creation, Árvore is as traditional an institution as, perhaps with a critical perspective, academia was in the 1960s,’ comments the executive director. At the helm of the co-operative since November last year, Manuel says that Árvore faces ‘the challenges of a 61-year-old organisation’. ‘The challenge we face is to continue to make it relevant to new generations of artists, to rejuvenate the co-operators,’ in other words, to attract younger members; and to develop ’initiatives that attract them so that they see that this co-operative still makes sense, and that it continues to help them grow and progress.’

It was precisely with this in mind that the Árvore das Virtudes Prize was created in 2021, aimed at people who are finishing their training in the arts and who can exhibit their work at the institution. This competition, now in its fourth edition, has the support of an insurance company that insures works of art and offers the winner an acquisition prize of three thousand euros. This year, more than 60 artists entered and 46 were selected, whose works are on display until the end of November. This year's winner was Ruth Pereira with her oil painting ‘An endless hunger’.

“Programming suitable for each demographic” 

There's always an exhibition on at Árvore. ‘As we're an institution of a certain age, we have a lot of traditional ballast, artists in their 80s and 90s, and we have a programme that tries to please several generations,’ says the executive director. ‘On the one hand, we have exhibitions, like the ones that took place this year, of established artists like Victor Costa and Zulmiro de Carvalho; and next year we're going to have an exhibition of Armando Alves, who is turning 90. On the other hand, there's an attempt to bring in new artists, such as Beatriz Albuquerque, a performer with a strong presence in countries like France and the United States, where she has lived,’ says Manuel.

In addition to the exhibitions, there are free courses aimed at a wide audience, namely ceramics, drawing and painting workshops, which take place throughout the year with an accredited artist, and during the summer there are also courses aimed at young people.

Árvore also has a ceramics workshop and a silk-screen printing workshop that work daily, with specialised technicians who are constantly producing pieces. It also hosts initiatives such as book launches, talks and round tables, and is responsible for publishing books. ‘There is always this concern to have this cultural dynamic,’ says the executive director.

With over 900 co-operators, this co-operative wants to continue to grow and rejuvenate. To become a member, you don't have to be an artist, you just have to ‘sympathise with the cause’. The new member has to pay 50 euros in share capital, thus becoming a co-owner of the cooperative; the monthly fee costs five euros. ‘The fee has been stabilised since the time of the escudo; it was 1,000 escudos, and in 2002 it went up to five euros. Students only pay half,’ says Manuel de Sousa.

Around a third of Árvore's members are artists, and ‘there are more and more foreign “members”, which has to do with the change in the social fabric’. ‘There is a significant percentage of members from Brazil,’ says the executive director.