New Arts Center in Lisbon

Marina Abramovic, Dragon Head 6, 1989. DVD, NTSC, color, no sound, 29'57" (loop)

By David Moscovich June, 2025

The Pavilhão Julião Sarmento is a new arts pavillion, formerly an abandoned warehouse,  inaugurated on June 4, 2025 in Lisbon's Belém district. Belém is home to the Jerónimos Monestary and famed for its Pastéis de Belém (custard pie) but increasingly for a growing contemporary art scene, as evidenced by the "cluster of venues dedicated to modern and contemporary art, located between Alcántara and Belém," according to the current Mayor of Lisbon, Carlos Moedas.

Named after artist Julião Sarmento (1948-2021), this new pavilion, which has been owned by the municipality since 1942, boasts an estimated collection of more than 1,500 contemporary works. A spokesperson for the center said that investment in the Pavilhão, including the construction of the building, is around six million Euros. For programming and activities there is about 250,000 Euros for this year. 

In the only speech heard on inauguration night, Mayor Moedas mentioned the essential contribution of Sarmento's wife Isabel Sarmento in the collection, who was present in the crowd. He said that Isabel Sarmento had "shared the dream" and was his sole supporter at the beginning of the journey to create the center.

Also highlighted in the Mayor's speech was the transformation, almost "magical," which Moedas attributes to the architect João Luís Carrilho da Graça.

Entrance at Inauguration, Pavilhão Julião Sarmento, June 4, 2025.

The architect, wrote Director Isabel Carlos in an essay for the program, was "chosen by his friend Julião Sarmento to create a home for his collection." The work he did amounted to resurrecting a building that was "in complete ruin," said the Director.  

Carlos, a native of Coimbra and seasoned art critic, curator and former director of the Centro de Art Moderna (CAM) Gulbenkian, was contacted by telephone for further comment. As to Isabel Sarmento's role in the collection named after her husband, Carlos explained that she was key in cementing the legal agreement with the city to access the collection for the next five years. In addition, Carlos confirmed that Isabel Sarmento had offered her husband numerous works of art as gifts over the years, which then became part of the collection. 

When asked about the significance of the center, the Director said it fills a gap that is missing in Lisbon. "There are more than 500 square meters of exhibition space," she said, which "gives the space flexibility and the ability to take risks in performance, cinema, visual arts, fashion, and music." WM