Portimão’s new art gallery prepares grand opening on January 24

By: Michael Bruxo

Bringing “internationally-renowned contemporary art to the Algarve so that it can be appreciated by locals without forcing them to make big trips elsewhere” will be the main goal of The Lux Gallery, a new art gallery in Portimão which will host its grand opening event in Portimão on Friday, January 24.

Located on Rua Dom Carlos I, the gallery seeks to become a “unique space dedicated to modern and contemporary art and design in the heart of Portimão”.

The gallery is managed by João Ganhão, a well-travelled art lover who was born in Lisbon but spent many years travelling to Portimão on holiday.

His experience in the art world has been inspired by his travels throughout Europe with his wife Viktoria Ganhão, an abstract painter. He also launched ‘Rosa’, a brand of paints, canvasses and oils used by artists all over Europe.

Speaking to the Resident, João Ganhão explained that he was often questioned about why Portugal had so few art galleries, which ended up inspiring him to open his very own in the Algarve.

A key reason he decided to open it in the Algarve was the region’s “large number of foreigners which could play an important role in this project”.

However, The Lux Gallery will aim to appeal to everyone. There will be several solo and collective exhibitions by national and international artists, with a focus on modern and contemporary art and original works, from paintings to mixed media, sculptures and photography.

Its name, says João, aims to reflect the goal of bringing great quality art to the Algarve and giving people a chance to purchase it and own “a bit of luxury in their own home”.

The gallery’s grand opening event will be held on Friday, January 24 and will feature works by Hélio Teles (Brazil/UK), Georges-Pierre Colin (France), Viktoria Ganhão (Portugal/UK), Paul Kingsley Squire (UK) and Ana Costa (Portugal).

It will feature “abstract artworks in oil, acrylic and mixed media” and is described as a “rare opportunity to see a selection of recent artworks from internationally-renowned artists”. The vernissage, starting at 6pm, will be for invited guests only, while the exhibition will remain on display for everyone to see until February 15.