Joaquim Ferreira dos Santos (Porto, 1782) rose from humble origins to amass extraordinary wealth through the transatlantic trade of enslaved people to Brazil. Returning to Portugal in 1832, he invested in businesses and funded liberalism, which granted him the title of Count of Ferreira. After his death in 1866, his will allocated funds for social projects, including the construction of the first hospital for mental health in Portugal (Count of Ferreira Hospital) and the first primary school network in the country (120 Count of Ferreira Schools). However, the origin of his fortune is generally unknown to the society from which it still benefits. By referring to this historical figure by his first name, symbolically dethroning him from his pedestal and stripping him of his title, this exhibition aims to question and problematise this man, his legacy, and what they both represent today, by calling on professionals from the visual and performing arts, architecture, and design. Complemented by a parallel programme, the exhibition attempts to create space for an urgent and necessary collective reflection about the past and present of Portuguese society.

Parallel programme:

15 December 2023 (Friday)

4 PM | Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Porto (FBAUP)

Talk with the artists and the curator

More info: https://sigarra.up.pt/fbaup/pt/noticias_geral.ver_noticia?p_nr=32442

16 December 2023 (Friday)

4 PM | RAMPA

Guided tour of the exhibition by Nuno Coelho (curator of the exhibition)

6 January 2024 (Saturday)

4 PM | RAMPA

Guided tour of the exhibition by Nuno Coelho (curator of the exhibition)

13 January 2024 (Saturday)

4 PM | RAMPA

Screening of the film "Debaixo do Tapete" ("Under the Carpet") (48'27'') by Catarina Demony & Carlos A. Costa (2023) followed by a talk with Catarina Demony (journalist and co-author of the film) and Nuno Coelho (curator of the exhibition), moderated by Alexandra Balona (RAMPA) [in Portuguese].

More info: https://www.rampa.pt/event/debaixo-do-tapete/

20 January 2024 (Saturday)

4 PM | RAMPA

Performance "Alva Escura" (20') by Dori Nigro & Paulo Pinto

More info: https://www.rampa.pt/event/alva-escura/

27 January 2024 (Saturday)

4 PM | RAMPA

Talk-debate "Silenced Echoes: between memory and censorship" with Dori Nigro and Paulo Pinto (artists), Georgia Quintas (curator), and Virgílio Ferreira and Jayne Dyer (directors of Porto Photography Biennial), moderated by Alexandra Balona (RAMPA) [in Portuguese]

More info: https://www.rampa.pt/event/ecos-silenciados-entre-a-memoria-e-a-censura/

3 February 2024 (Saturday)

4 PM | RAMPA

Talk-debate "Memorialising Slavery in the Portuguese public space" with Evalina Gomes Dias (Djass – Association of Afro-descendants), Marta Lança (BUALA) and Paulo Moreira (INSTITUTO), moderated by Nuno Coelho (curator of the exhibition) [in Portuguese]

More info: https://www.rampa.pt/event/memorializar-a-escravatura-no-espaco-publico-portugues/

Joaquim – The Count of Ferreira and his legacy is an artistic research exhibition with the support of the Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies of the University of Coimbra (CEIS20) / Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and the Portuguese Republic - Culture / DGARTES - Directorate-General for the Arts.