The first phase of works has already finished and the second will begin this year. The objective is that, in 2025, the old cereal silos and attached warehouses of the Santa Catarina da Fonte do Bispo Agricultural Cooperative will definitely give way to the Zer0 Museum, the first dedicated exclusively to digital art in Portugal.
Interestingly, the buildings of the old cooperative are themselves a kind of museum, as they were designed in the 50s by Manuel Gomes da Costa, a modernist architect.
In an interview with Sul Informação, João Correia Vargues, president of the Museum's Executive Committee, adds that, at the end of 2023, the first phase of works was completed, which included «closing the building and dealing with the roofs and coverings».
Now, this year, the finishing work will begin “in February or March”.
The works have been carried out with great concern: «we were – and will be – always very careful to ensure that the work took place carefully, with respect for the building, because we know exactly where we are working».
But the truth is that, even without having a finished physical space yet, the Zer0 Museum has been working for a long time.
Joana Carmo, cultural mediation technician, explains that, in addition to the exhibitions, a lot of work has also been done with the school community.
«We have already reached schools in all municipalities and, at the end of last school year, we reached 10400 students. What we have been doing are conversations with artists, who report their work and show it,” he says.
The Zero Museum team has covered several disciplines, some less conventional.
«We even went to Physical Education, because the teachers always find a connection. We have also started training for teachers and there is great enthusiasm for this project», he guarantees.
For João Correia Vargues, this connection that already exists with the community shows how the «Zer0 Museum has never been and will never be just the building».
«This is important and has given confidence to entities and the population. Our work has given us visibility and security. Therefore, we believe that this can be a transformative project because we take this novelty of combining technology with art. We are raising awareness about culture and that is something that matters», considers this person in charge.
When the works are completed, the Museum will have, in addition to the exhibition rooms, an area dedicated to research in partnership with the University of Algarve, an educational service, an area for conferences and seminars and the Magalhães Center for incubating artists.
The creation of the Zero Museum involves an investment of around 4 million euros.
This will be the first space in Portugal «centered on digital art». Even in Europe, «there are few spaces with only digital art», guarantees João Correia Vargues.
The idea of building this museum came from Paulo Teixeira Pinto, former president of Banco Comercial Português (BCP), art collector, artist and currently residing in Santa Catarina da Fonte do Bispo.
Photos: Pedro Lemos | Sul Informação
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