The art of Joana Vasconcelos – finally seeing some of her work in Lisbon

Joana Vasconcelos’s art is something for our eyes to devour, for our soul to rejoice. Our senses get flabbergasted with explosions of colours, with the idea that such beautiful things, put together using the most diverse materials, also send such strong messages. Vasconcelos’s work is unapologetically feminine, loudly so. It is also juvenile – the choice of colours, textures, and shapes. It provokes your imagination, it captures childhood visions of paradise. It often reminds me of an Alice in Wonderland. But do not be mistaken – her work has little innocence. Quite the contrary. And it is in the contrarieties that I find it disturbing, deliciously so – how political these works can be, an incitation to reflections. And that is why I love her work and am so proud to have her as one of the biggest names in the Portuguese contemporary art scene.

I never had a chance to see her work live, but the opportunity to do so in Lisbon finally came up this month. MAAT – Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology in Lisbon currently has some of her pieces in an exhibition named Plug-In, with works created since 2000. A couple of them are just outside of the museum so anyone can see them for free. The exhibition ends in March 2024, so you have still time if you are planning to visit Lisbon any time soon 🙂

Like an engagement ring, it is named “Solitario” Portuguese word for Loner. It was created with 1499 whiskey glasses, which form the diamond and 110 golden rims. This piece is already destined for a private collector in Madrid after the end of this exhibition.

The Venetian mask is called “I’ll be Your Mirror”, created in 2019, it’s made of 255 baroque frames and 510 hand mirrors. I absolutely love this piece – it definitely made me reflect upon how we never see others how they are and often only see ourselves reflected on them. Meaning, we see what we want to see. Even when it plays against us.

The “Tree of Life” was created this year, in 2023, for the Sainte-Chapelle de Vincennes in Paris. This is the first time that was removed from that space. The height had to be adapted – the tree is now 13 meters high, vs the 14 meters it had in Paris. It is made with aluminium, steel, cotton crochet and other fabrics. It has 354 branches and 140 thousand leaves handsown. It also has LED lights with different autumnal colours, which must be amazing to see at night.

As you enter the MAAT Art Gallery, the first gigantic piece you see is the Valkyrie Octopus. This piece in itself is a playground for kids and adults alike. This piece was created in 2015 to be part of the MGM Macau casino, and this is the first time it is in Europe.

The last piece I took a photo of was the “Drag Race”. This is in fact a Porsche turned into a Baroque carriage. It was created during the lockdown during the pandemic and this is the first time it has been exhibited to the public.

The piece that really stayed with me was one I did not take a picture of. Also, a car, filled with stuffed toys and dolls, but covered in plastic guns (used often as toys). The piece is called “War Games” and it was particularly disturbing to me as I visited the exhibition precisely when the Israel-Hamas conflict started, on Saturday the 7th of October. See the image below from the artist’s official website.

It is definitely more impactful live, as the car is illuminated inside, and some of the toys are moving and making noises. It reminds you of who really suffered in war, so many times beginning with the goal of serving the people but ending up murdering indiscriminately the innocents. This work is from 2011, and this car was actually the first car the artist was given by her grandfather to practice her driving skills.

As mentioned above, the works can be visited until March 2024, so if you are planning a trip to Lisbon and are into Joana Vasconcelos’s work, don’t miss the opportunity 😉

Love, Nic