The 25th anniversary of the Serralves Foundation, founded in 1989, and the 15th anniversary of the opening of the Serralves Museum of Contemporary Art in 1999, designed by Portuguese Pritzker prize-winning architect Álvaro Siza Vieira.

Over the past 25 years, the Serralves Foundation has raised the public’s awareness about contemporary art and how it reflects the current issues of our contemporary societies. The celebration of this double anniversary underlines the intimate relationship that Serralves has forged with audiences from Portugal and around the world. Luís Braga da Cruz, President of the Serralves Foundation, explains “These anniversaries represent a remarkable moment in Serralves’ long history, creating a distinct dialogue between Portuguese artists and their foreign counterparts. We are proud to celebrate Serralves’ status as a key agent in the development of Portuguese culture and as one of the leading institutions in the international art community.”

Several special exhibitions have been planned in honor of the anniversaries

- The three-part exhibition "Histories: Works from the Serralves Collection", on view through September 21, includes pieces from the collection by artists such as Danh Vo, Hans Haacke, Richard Serra, Claes Oldenburg, Dan Graham, On Kawara, Amalia Pica, Robert Morris, Sanja Ivekovic, Liam Gillick, Lucy McKenzie, Walid Raad, and Richard Long. Additionally, the Serralves Park features a new public sculpture commission by Berlin-based artist Nairy Baghramian.

From September 7 to 19, Chicago-based artist and musician Theaster Gates will be in “monastic retreat” with his musical ensemble The Black Monks of Mississippi at the Serralves Museum – the first presentation of Gates’ work in Portugal.

In October, the Serralves Museum will organize the first museum survey of Iranian artist Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian, which will travel to the Guggenheim Museum, New York in March 2015. For more information about Serralves’ exhibitions, please visit the website.

On September 19th, Serralves will also host a fundraising dinner to honor its founders and the fundamental role they have played in Serralves’ history. For tickets and additional information on the dinner please contact.

About Serralves

Designed by Portuguese Pritzker prize-winning architect Álvaro Siza Vieira, the Serralves Museum of Contemporary Art is the Foundation’s primary exhibition space. The Museumhouses the Serralves Collection of Portuguese and international contemporary art, which spans a period from the 1960s to the present and includes work by Luc Tuymans, Mel Bochner, Christopher Williams, Matt Mullican, Richard Serra, Robert Morris, among many others. The Museum aims to foster the understanding and appreciation of contemporary art and culture through it’s collection, temporary exhibitions, performances, and educational programs.

In addition to serving as the Foundation’s head office, The Serralves Villa constitutes an important extension of the Museum of Contemporary Art and is reserved for the presentation of temporary exhibitions. Originally designed as a private residence by the architect Charles Siclis and the decorator and architect Jacques Émile Ruhlmann, the Villa, along with the Serralves Park, was commissioned by the second Count of Vizela, Carlos Alberto Cabral. Constructed on the outskirts of Porto between 1925 and 1944, the Serralves Villa is a significant example of art deco style.

The Serralves Park spans 44 acres and includes a variety of harmoniously interconnected spaces: formal gardens, woodlands, meadows and a farm. Designed by the architect Jacques Gréber in the 1930s, it constitutes a singular reference within Portugal’s landscape heritage. The Park presents a privileged opportunity to come into contact with nature and appreciate the wide diversity of trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants of both native and exotic species. Visitors to the Park will encounter sculptures from the Serralves Collection that are permanently on display.

In 2012, the buildings of Serralves—the contemporary art Museum, a 1930’s Art Deco Villa, and a 44-acre historic Park featuring over 200 species of plants—were jointly classified by the Portuguese State as a “National Heritage.”