Stories of the Collection III

Spanning the period from 1983 to the present day, Stories of the Collection summarises key moments in the formation of the Caixa Geral de Depósitos (CGD) Collection. Across distinct points and through the presentation of its most important acquisitions, we follow the desires, tastes, policies and circumstances of each specific moment of the collection’s development: The Decorative Collection (1983-89); The Art Collection (1990-97); Diversification (2000-04); Photographs (1991 and 2004); Precision (2004-08 and 2014); Prints (2007); Donations and Bequests (1967-2021); Resuming Acquisitions (2020-21); New Acquisitions: renowned artists (2022 and 2023); New Acquisitions: mid-career artists (2022 and 2023); Caixa Contest for Young Artists (2022 and 2023).

The task of finding a specialist consultant to manage and develop the Collection was initiated on 23 May 2000 by means of a Board Memorandum proposed by the CIO António Raimundo, with Fernando Calhau involved in the selection process. Given that Culturgest, a CGD group company, already worked in the cultural sector, with Manuel José Vaz as its Chairman since 1992, an expert's report was requested in order to determine whether it could take the responsibility for the acquisition of artworks.

Culturgest prepared a document outlining what it saw as the justification for resuming the collection's acquisitions. Confirming the high quality of the Collection, its assessment was based on an evaluation of the collection's past investments and on various other considerations, such as meeting the expectations for the collection of the artistic community; increasing the possibility of exchange with other institutions; the fact that such collections were common to other banking institutions, which were expected to make a contribution to cultural development; and because the artworks were in themselves a ‘strong financial investment’.

Culturgest made a proposal that listed criteria for acquisitions, focusing on ‘international contemporary art from the 1960s onwards’, especially from countries where the CDG had a presence or with a cultural affinity to Portugal, such as Brazil, Mozambique, Cape Verde and Angola. The proposal also established a plan for the enjoyment and dissemination of the works, which included the circulation of works inside the building, the organisation of temporary exhibitions at Culturgest, and the promotion of the Collection abroad.

On 16 October 2000, Culturgest, with António Pinto Ribeiro as its Artistic Director between 1993 and 2004, were made responsible for the Acquisitions department of the Collection. In December of that same year, Culturgest proposed the acquisition of two works by Fernanda Fragateiro alongside others by artists such as Adriana Varejão, Ana Vidigal, António Ole, Álvaro Lapa, Efrain Almeida, Fátima Mendonça, Fernando Calhau, Fernando Alvim, Joana Vasconcelos, José Damasceno, Júlia Ventura, Leonor Antunes, Lygia Pape and Susanne Themlitz. In all, a total of 196 works by 89 artists were acquired up to April 2004.

António Pinto Ribeiro, together with Fátima Ramos (vice-president of Culturgest), organised the exhibition Contemporary Art: New Acquisitions at Culturgest Lisbon (April / June, 2002), and at Culturgest Porto (April / July, 2002), showing the new international character of the Collection, in particular the notable presence of Brazilian and African artists. To reinforce this ‘Lusophone’ expansion, two more exhibitions were held in this period: Contemporary Art: works from 1968 to 2002 at MEIAC – Museu Extremeño e Iberoamericano de Arte Contemporáneo in Badajoz, Spain (September / October, 2003), and Further South: Works by Artists from Africa at Culturgest Lisbon (May / September 2004).