A letter signed by more than 200 of Portugal’s prominent artists has been presented to Prime Minister, António Costa, alerting him to the "worrying situation of contemporary art," in galleries, collections and institutions.
Headed, ‘The State of Art in Portugal,’ the artists request "a State fund for acquisitions, the creation of a separate agency for contemporary art under the Directorate General for the Arts and urgent fiscal changes."
The letter is signed by more than 200 artists including Fernanda Fragateiro, Albuquerque Mendes, André Cepeda, Carlos Noronha Feio, Maria Trabulo, João Tabarra, Jorge Molder, Gabriela Albergaria, Isabel Aboim, Julião Sarmento, Inez Teixeira, Hugo Canoilas and João Cutileiro.
The sculptor, João Cutileiro, hopes that the letter will open the government’s eyes, claiming that over the years, it has ignored its responsibilities because the money spent to support culture and the visual arts has been scarce.
The signatories write there is a need for "all of those in this arena, artists, curators, gallery owners, institutions, critics and agents, to be more demanding and play an active part in the decision-making structures of the State."
The letter asks whether those artists leaving the country during the crisis years will ever return and whether the current generation will continue to emigrate.