Events

The exhibition "The Salt of Democracy – Mário Soares and Culture" celebrates the Centenary of the birth of Mário Soares, a fundamental figure in contemporary Portuguese history. Everything he did in politics, such as the resistance to the dictatorship and the struggles for democracy, stemmed from a strong and founding cultural attitude. He was a voracious and tireless reader, an assiduous and productive writer, a curious and fascinated art amateur. In his homes, he lived surrounded by art and culture. This has always been, in his personal and family world, the most desired and dearest presence, the most overwhelming and the most inspiring. That is why he once said: "Culture is the salt of democracy."

Organised by the Serralves Foundation – Museum of Contemporary Art, this exhibition is curated by José Manuel dos Santos and Pedro Marques Gomes, and shows Mário Soares' inspiring intimacy with culture and with those who create it, through a selection of works from his art collections (painting, drawing, sculpture, tapestry, engraving) and bibliophilia (rare books, first editions, manuscripts).