Mértola Castle Exhibition Gallery – 10 October to 15 December 2026
From 10 October to 15 December 2026, Mértola will host the exhibition Hogan and Virgílio – Hands and Time, curated by José Alexandre de São Marcos, a show that brings together the work of two important Portuguese visual artists, the painter João Manuel Navarro Hogan (1914-1988) and the sculptor Virgílio Domingues (1932).
The exhibition establishes a dialogue between painting, sculpture, drawing, engraving, and the various stages preceding the completion of an artwork, placing manual skill and its evolution over time at the heart of a reflection on artistic creation and the development of human society. It features sculptures, prints and printing plates, drawings and paintings, alongside preparatory materials that offer visitors an insight into the creative and conceptual processes behind the artworks. The curator invites visitors to explore how materials are shaped and transformed through manual and intellectual endeavour in the creation of each piece.
Time as material
Curated by José Alexandre de São Marcos, ‘Hogan and Virgílio – Hands and Time’ establishes a distinctive connection with Mértola and its people. This is a region deeply shaped by manual craftsmanship and the transmission of knowledge, with an identity also forged through reconnecting with its past, in a continuous process of preservation and transformation. The restoration and appreciation of local heritage, traditional skills and collective memories find particular resonance in this exhibition, which reflects on how human hands transform the world while simultaneously shaping culture, knowledge and society. It is through this human relationship with time, from past to present, that the exhibition finds its place in Mértola, where heritage is not merely a record of the past but a living resource for building the future.
Two artistic languages, one creative space
Another central theme of the exhibition is the relationship between the artists themselves. A painter and a sculptor, Hogan and Virgílio each developed their own distinctive artistic language and personality, yet they shared a creative space – the Studio – and with it opportunities for collaboration, dialogue, learning and constructive criticism. The exhibition thus seeks to highlight the importance of human relationships, friendship and solidarity in bringing projects to life.
Obstacles are more easily overcome by teams whose members possess different yet complementary skills. Ideally, it is precisely these differences, and sometimes the gaps they reveal, that create opportunities for something entirely new to emerge. Such coexistence is understood not as an obstacle but as an opportunity for mutual enrichment; not as a source of antagonism but as a meeting ground for individual abilities and experiences, from which new solutions and forms of artistic expression can emerge.
Ultimately, Hogan and Virgílio – Hands and Time invites us to reflect on what endures: the artworks, gestures, relationships, knowledge and skills passed down through generations.
(source: https://www.cm-mertola.pt/noticias/hogan-e-virgilio-as-maos-e-o-tempo accessed on 26/10/2026).