On September 22, an exhibition venue opened at Rua de São Bernardo 15, Lisbon. It is an encounter between two galleries, which share both space and address.

Jahn und Jahn, a gallery founded in Munich in 1978 by Fred Jahn, merged in 2017 with its neighbouring gallery, opened in 2008 by his son Matthias Jahn. Since then, Jahn und Jahn has been presenting the work of artists with a long and established career. Among them is Portuguese Paula Rego, as well as younger artists with a promising future.

The Encounter gallery, whilst existing since 2014, founded by Alexander Caspari in London, had an unusual programme. It was developing curatorial work with European and international artists, in dialogue with institutions and the art market. But only this year did the London gallery manage to have its first permanent location, in Lisbon.

In a 19th century flat, with a considerable number of exhibition rooms, besides an outdoor area – a sculpture garden -, both galleries propose to cohabit, offering each one independent programming.

Among the several areas, this proposal has one unusual feature. The Projectspace is a room located more or less in the centre of the flat. This is a privileged place for dialogue between both galleries, a shared space. With a hybrid and experimental programming, the galleries will use the Projectspace to present works by invited artists, national or international, without necessarily being connected to any of the projects.

Dayana Lucas (Venezuela, 1987) inaugurates Projectspace with the project PULSO [PULSE], presenting works developed between 2016 and 2022. They are drawings of organisms guided by intuition, in a rhythm gauged by the pulse in contact with nature.

Jahn und Jahn is currently presenting the exhibition 14 rooms, with works by Heinz Butz (1925 – 2022, Germany), Imi Knoebel (1940, Germany), Kirsten Ortwed (1940, Denmark), and Fernanda Fragateiro (1962, Portugal). 14 rooms is an exhibition of sculptural and paper works on the notions of form, matter and minimalism. The invited artist, Fernanda Fragateiro, has an exhibition in dialogue with artists represented by the gallery, emphasising one of the missions of the Munich-based project, now with a venue in Lisbon directed by Carolina Trigueiros: to stimulate the exchange and dialogue of Portuguese artists with the international context, presenting to the Portuguese public works by artists not yet shown in the country.

At the Encounter gallery, we can see the exhibition CTY 5081 by Antony Cairns (1980, England). This work mixes photography and sculpture, in a dialogue between technology and traditional processes.

In the garden, artists from both galleries can be seen. Muamba Grove, by Vanessa da Silva (1976, Brazil) represented by Encounter; and Broken Elipse, by Navid Nuur (1976, Iran), represented by Jahn und Jahn.

Jahn und Jahn and Encounter are open from Wednesday to Saturday, 2pm to 7pm. They can also be visited by appointment. The current exhibitions are on show until 20 November.