WOW, the cultural district of Porto, Portugal, will soon be home to the Tate Collection’s experimental visual exhibition The Dynamic Eye: Beyond Optical and Kinetic Art. The exhibition will be based at the new Atkinson Museum, located within the Cultural District, from July to October 2023.
The exhibition marks the beginning of a new collaboration between Tate Collection and Porto’s Cultural District, as the museum will feature the largest number of works to travel from Tate to Portugal, including the first survey of optical and kinetic art in the country.
Featuring over 100 rarely exhibited artworks from 60 artists including Victor Vasarely, Julio le Parc, Frank Stella and Lygia Clark, the exhibition takes the viewer through a journey into the art of the 20th Century. The show seeks to introduce visitors to optical and kinetic art movements through a selection of paintings, sculpture, works on paper, films and installations, revealing the broad scope of these radical movements that move beyond the confines of a single time or place.
Landmark
Adrian Bridge, CEO of WOW Cultural District, said: “As a cultural district, we want to reinforce this destination as an obligatory and consistent stopping point for international landmark exhibitions. This is just the beginning of a strong and structured strategy that will bring major exhibitions to Gaia and the North of Portugal. Having the pleasure of collaborating with Tate is a great recognition of the work we have been developing.”|
“Tate is delighted to be working with WOW Cultural District to stage The Dynamic Eye at the Atkinson Museum. WOW’s ambition to create a unique, cultural destination in Porto is a bold and welcome endeavour. The combination of art, culinary delights and a well curated selection of retail and hospitality, is an important addition to the Portuguese cultural scene. As a new ‘cultural district’ in Porto, WOW encompasses a variety of innovative spaces for local and global audiences.
Visitors from established art enthusiasts to families, can relax, be inspired, and immerse themselves in culture, with world-class art, food and drink. WOW is leading the way in Porto, creating a new model of cultural engagement for all. Tate is very pleased to contribute to this mission through our collaboration.” added Neil McConnon, Director of International Partnerships, Tate.
Among the works included are recent additions to the Tate Collection, such as Otto Piene’s Light Room (Jena) which immerses the viewer within its play of light and shadows, and Wen-Ying Tsai’s Cybernetic Sculpture: Square Tops. The exhibition will also feature a site-specific work by renowned contemporary artist Jim Lambie, whose psychedelic floor
designs will take over the Atkinson Museum’s entrance.
The exhibition is currently on display in Shanghai at the Museum of Art Pudon (MAP). It was conceived by Clara Kim, former Senior Curator, International Art, Tate Modern, and is curated by Valentina Ravaglia, Curator, Displays & International Art, Tate Modern. The exhibition is organised in collaboration with Tate.
The Atkinson Museum, originally Atkinson House, was built in 1760 and quickly became a centrepiece of the British involvement in the Port Wine trade. Once owned by Robert Atkinson in the late 19th Century and later acquired by The Fladgate Partnership, the centuries-old house has been carefully restored and modernised to international museum
standards. Located in the heart of the Cultural District, The Atkinson Museum has a vision to become an iconic backdrop for hosting exhibitions of international importance.
WOW is the new cultural district of Greater Porto and is located in the historic centre of Vila Nova de Gaia. It was born from the renovated Port Wine cellars, in a project that was classified as Potential National Interest (PIN). It has a gross area of 55 thousand square metres and includes a total of seven museums, twelve restaurants and cafés, shops, a Wine School, and various event spaces. Inaugurated in 2020, WOW celebrates the culture, gastronomy, history and industries of the Northern region of Portugal.
www.wow.pt.
See also: Convelio, Art Paris and Green Logistics
