Having been around for half a century, the roots of Galeria Quadrum can be traced back to the woman who founded it and her passion for art: Dulce D’Agro (1915-2021). Celebrating the anniversary of this venue and the memory of its founder, artist and curator Paulo Mendes put together the exhibition Quadrum 50 anos, uma fogueira cultural, a curatorial project that casts light on the gallery’s extensive historical archive. It also features works by the artists who have shaped its identity as an avant-garde institution, such as Alberto Carneiro, Alexandra do Carmo, Ana Hatherly, António Olaio, Cristina Mateus, E. M. de Melo e Castro, Ernesto de Sousa, Fernando Brito / Ases da Paleta, João Vieira, Jorge Molder, Julião Sarmento, Miguel Leal, Miguel Palma, Paulo Mendes and Salette Tavares.

On November 22, 1973, Dulce D’Agro opened her gallery at Palácio dos Coruchéus in Lisbon, with the group exhibition Artistas Modernos Portugueses, which included names such as Alice Jorge, Ângelo de Sousa, Fernando Calhau, Menez, Nadir Afonso and Nikias Skapinakis. From this point onwards, Quadrum’s history has its founder as the main character until 1995, during which time there was a period of internationalisation of Portuguese artists, and an effort to present international artists in Portugal (including Gina Pane, Karel Appel and Victor Vasarely). The following years were filled with uncertainty, closing its doors again and again until 2005. Only in 2010 did Quadrum acquire renewed stability when it was taken under the wing of EGEAC. In this final chapter, the gallery dropped its commercial ethos and became a venue solely devoted to exhibiting works of art.

The exhibition starts with a film recording of Ana Hatherly’s performance Rotura, held at Quadrum in 1977. The artist tore thirteen panels of scenic paper under the cameras and the attentive gaze of the audience. This was an overtly provocative gesture to challenge the commercial concept of art, turning the waste from the intervention into an artistic object. It also reflects Quadrum’s commitment to offering artists a place to exhibit non-commercial efforts.

Peering through the curtains onto which Rotura (1977) is screened, we step into Quadrum’s exhibition area, where we are instantly faced with a vast photograph of Dulce D’Agro, prominently featured on the back wall of the room. A long table stands between us and the portrait of the legendary gallerist, supporting the vast archive documenting this place’s history. There are works of art on display, countless letters exchanged between artists and the gallerist, sales invoices for works of art, press clippings, photos of exhibitions and other materials seldom shown to the public.

Quadrum’s endurance is clear from the very outset of its existence. First, for having the temerity to open its doors during the Estado Novo. Secondly, because it was one of the few commercial galleries that remained active in the post-revolutionary period, as Dulce D’Agro said in the newspaper o Diabo on June 2, 1987: “After the Carnation Revolution, the art market completely collapsed. Nothing, absolutely nothing, was being sold for any price whatsoever. It was a desert crossing.” ^[1]

Dulce D’Agro soon came to acknowledge the need to internationalise her gallery, and took part in multiple art fairs. The exhibition features objects depicting these events, such as posters (Arte Fiera 78 in Bologna, Arte Basel 79) or documents identifying the showrooms Quadrum passed through. With this involvement, Dulce D’Agro cemented the gallery’s reputation, helping to spread Portuguese contemporary art.

Quadrum also contributed greatly to educating different audiences, providing art courses taught by leading Portuguese art critics. One of the walls displays a 1970s poster of the “Initiation to Modern Art Course”, run by “Salette Tavares, Rui Mário Gonçalves, Manuel Rio de Carvalho and Ernesto de Sousa”. Or even the hands-on course run by Ernesto de Sousa on “Knowledge of Current Art”.

The programme planned by Dulce D’Agro was also aimed at younger audiences. Quadrum opened its doors to children and teenagers from the primary and secondary schools neighbouring the gallery, with guided tours of the exhibitions and educational workshops. In a drawing that illustrates one of these visits, done by the young ones, we read sentences like “Mrs Dulce, your exhibition is so beautiful” or “I’m going to draw the pictures I saw at Quadrum”.

The correspondence on show speaks volumes about the emotional relationships between the gallery owner and the artists. Amid all the bureaucracy required to put on an exhibition, the artists find room to share their intimacy. One example is a letter from the artist Ângelo de Sousa, addressed to “His Friend Dulce” on January 4, 1977. The artist opened up about how tired he was, writing: “I’ve been doing absolutely nothing. As a matter of fact, I’m at my wits’ end and don’t feel like doing anything, even though, from time to time, I come up with projects for this or that – some paintings, sculptures, films, engravings, even – but, as I’m so tired, most of the time I don’t even take note of these ideas which, for that reason, return to where they came from.”

One of the most iconic pieces emphasising the disruptive nature of Galeria Quadrum returns to its original location. On a television, we revisit the video of João Vieira’s Caretos performance, which took place at the gallery in 1984. The artist dressed up as a careto (a traditional character from the region of Trás-os-Montes) and took a donkey into the gallery premises. The animal, with its legs tied, manifested its discomfort while the artist drew, painted, ate bread and drank wine.

The inauguration of the exhibition Quadrum 50 anos, uma fogueira cultural included performances by António Olaio and António Poppe. António Poppe’s voice started to boom through the crowd with a poem by Herberto Hélder. The following words echoed those of Dulce D’Agro and the children who passed through Quadrum: “No one conquers the world, no one conquers the mute, a child wrote in a class by Salette Tavares,” we heard.

In an effort to engage the audience, António Olaio then went round the large table with a suitcase in his hand. Whenever he opened it, a light shone from inside, unveiling a card that he read aloud before throwing it into the air. Of the many words and sentences that sprang from his action, the card that read “trompe l’oeil” landed at my feet.

The performance then took a more provocative turn as the audience seemed unmoved by the artists’ actions. Eventually, they both came together for a final gesture. In disbelief at the lack of awareness on the part of most of the audience, António Olaio asked for the music to be turned up, declaring “It’s better to listen to the music than the words“. Meanwhile, António Poppe used his voice as a manifesto of rebellion, pushing it to the limit.

Galeria Quadrum’s 50th anniversary celebration pays tribute to the vast cultural legacy of this historic venue and the key role of the women who made it possible. Looking to the past, António Olaio and António Poppe have set the gallery ablaze, perpetuating the flame of boldness and commitment to art. And so Dulce D’Agro’s foresight and passion were honoured.

The exhibition is open until January 21, 2024.

^[1] Quote taken from the newspaper clipping on display at the exhibition Quadrum 50 anos, uma fogueira cultural.