Francisco Tropa

Sculpture has been a permanent interest in the artistic practice of Francisco Tropa, who works since the beginning of the 90s and has gained a significant attention by institutions and the critique. Representing Portugal in the 2011 edition of Venice Biennale, he also participated in Rennes Biennial (2012), Istanbul Biennial (2011), Manifesta (2000), Melbourne Biennial (1999) and São Paulo Biennial (1999).

Several media are used by Tropa – sculpture itself, drawing, performance, photography or film – to convene a series of reflections introduced by the different traditions of sculpture. Subjects such as body, death, nature, landscape, memory, origin or time, are always present in his works, in an endless process of projection of references from the history of art, from other art works, from previous works of the artist, and from specific authors.

Notions of device and spectator are also fundamental to understand his practice, which defies all the traditional categories of art, its representation and perception.

CV

Solo Exhibitions (selection)

  • 2023 — Fortress of Loneliness, Galeria Quadrado Azul, Lisbon

Exhibitions and solo projects (selection)

  • 2014 — TSAE: Tesouros submersos do antigo Egipto: apresentados por Francisco Tropa, Pavilhão Branco, Lisbon, Portugal
  • 2015 — Noche Triste, Gregor Podnar Gallery, Berlin, Germany
  • 2016 — Cinema, Appleton Square, Lisbon, Portugal
  • 2020 — O Bigode Escondido na Barba - O Coração e os Pulmões, Galeria Quadrado Azul, Lisbon, Portugal
  • 2020 — Der im Bart versteckte Schnauzbart - Das Herz und die Lunge, Galerie Gregor Podnar, Berlin, Germany
  • 2017 — La Moustache Cachée dans la Barbe, Galerie Jocelyn Wolff, Paris, France
  • 2018 — L'Invitation aux Musées, Centre Nationale de la Danse, Paris, France
  • 2019 — The Pyrgus from Chaves, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Lisbon, Portugal
  • 2021 — Polaris, Galeria da Casa A. Molder, Lisboa, Portugal
  • 2022 — Che Vuoi?, Le Creux de L'Enfer, Thiers, France
  • 2022 — The Lung and the Heart, MAM - Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris, France
  • 2008 — Tesouros Submersos do Antigo Egipto, Chiado 8 Arte Contemporânea, Lisbon, Portugal
  • 2014 — Arenaire, Galerie Jocelyn Wolff, Paris, France
  • 2007 — The Assembly of Euclid, Matadero, Madrid, Spain
  • 2006 — The mark of the Breast, Culturgest, Porto, Portugal
  • 2012 — Museu, Galeria Quadrado Azul, Porto, Portugal
  • 2011 — Scenario, Official Portuguese Representation, 54th Venice Biennale, Italy
  • 2010 — Scripta, Galeria Quadrado Azul, Lisbon, Portugal
  • 2009, Culturgest, Lisbon, Portugal
  • 2013 — TSAE, Trésors Submergés de l’ancienne Egypte, La Verrière Hermès, Brussels, Belgium
  • 2015 — TSAE: Trésors Submergés de l’Ancienne Égypte, Musée régional d'art contemporain, Languedoc Roussillon, Serignan, France
  • 2016 — Ladri, Galleria Alessandra Bonomo, Rome, Italy
  • 2017 — O Bigode Escondido na Barba, Fundação Carmona e Costa, Lisbon, Portugal
  • 2018 — Arenário, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Porto, Portugal
  • 2007 — The Cyclist’s Trance, Livre Circulação: Serralves no Algarve, Convento de Santo António, Loulé, Portugal
  • 2012 — Flowers, Galeria Quadrado Azul, Porto, Portugal
  • 2006 — Figura sentada; Homem em erecção; Tiro inflectido; O Gigante, Teatro Rivoli, Porto, Portugal (with André Maranha)
  • 2011 — Untitled, 12th Istanbul Biennial, Turkey
  • 2010 — Farol, Natureza Morta, Galeria Quadrado Azul, Lisbon, Portugal
  • 2009, Galeria Quadrado Azul, Porto, Portugal
  • 2008 — The Assembly of Euclid (final), Galeria Quadrado Azul, Porto, Portugal
  • 2013, Gregor Podnar Gallery, Berlin, Germany
  • 2015 — Sim Não (Oui Non), Les Moulins de Paillard, Paillard, Poncé Sur Le Loir, France
  • 2007 — Traço sobre um muro, Circular – Festival de Artes Performativas, Vila do Conde, Portugal
  • 2006 — The Assembly of Euclid: The Cyclist’s Trance, Galeria Quadrado Azul, Porto, Portugal
  • 2008 — Festival Trama, Porto, Portugal
  • 2012 — Stela, Fundação Leal Rios, Lisbon, Portugal
  • 2011 — Literal, Circular – Festival de Artes Performativas, Vila do Conde, Portugal (with Laurent Pichaud)
  • 2010 — Giant, Auditório do Museu de Arte Contemporânea de Serralves, Porto, Portugal
  • 2009, Galería Distrito Quatro, Madrid, Spain
  • 2013 — Terra Platónica, Caterina Tognon Gallery, Venice, Italy
  • 2015 — Protótipos, Galeria Quadrado Azul, Lisbon, Portugal
  • 2006 — Yes No, Auditório do Museu de Serralves, Porto, Portugal (with other artists)
  • 2011 — Tali, Galeria Quadrado Azul, Porto, Portugal
  • 2010 — O vapor que se eleva do arroz enquanto coze, Auditório do Museu de Arte Contemporânea de Serralves, Porto/ Beursschouwburg, Brussels, Belgium/ Appleton Square, Lisbon, Portugal (with Osso Exótico)

Group Exhibitions (selection)

  • 2014 — João Botelho: I would only believe in a god who could dance, Plataforma das Artes e Criatividade \ Centro Internacional das Artes José de Guimarães, Portugal
  • 2011 — Locus Solus. Impresiones de Raymond Roussel, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, Madrid, Spain
  • 2007 — Portugal Agora – À Propos des Lieux d’Origine, MUDAM, Luxembourg
  • 2019 — Sculptures Infinies, Fondation Calouste Gulbenkian, Délégation en France, Palais des Beaux-Arts, Paris, France
  • 2015 — Anatomie de l'Automate, La Panacée - Centre de Culture Contemporaine, Montpellier, France
  • 2016 — El Mundo Guarda la Memoria de Todos los Rastros. CV Colección, Centro de Arte Alcobendas, Madrid, Spain
  • 2017 — 10.000 Anos depois entre Vénus e Marte, Galeria Municipal do Porto, Porto, Portugal
  • 2018 — Transantiquity, Galeria Municipal do Porto, Porto, Portugal
  • 2020 — Que horas são que horas - Uma galeria de Histórias, Galeria Municipal do Porto, Portugal
  • 2021 — Luminous Matter, Museu Berardo, Centro Cultural de Belém, Lisbon, Portugal
  • 2022 — Entre o Céu e a Terra, Igreja das Domínicas, Elvas, Portugal
  • 2022 — Les Péninsules démarrées, Frac Nouvelle - Aquitaine MÉCA | Bordeaux, France
  • 2022 — Les Péninsules démarrées 2022.09.15—2023.02.25, Frac Nouvelle - Aquitaine MÉCA | Bordeaux, France
  • 2014 — The Registry of Promise: The Promise of Multiple Temporalities, Parc Saint Léger - Centre d'art contemporain, Pougues-les-Eaux, France
  • 2012 — Ateliers de Rennes - biennale d'art contemporain, Rennes, France
  • 2008 — Avenida 211, Lisbon, Portugal
  • 2019 — Deep deep down, far far in (and out), Leal Rios Foundation, Lisbon, Portugal
  • 2013 — J’ouvre les yeux et tu es là, MUDAM, Luxembourg
  • 2015 — The Secret and Abiding Politics of Stones, Casa del Lago UNAM, Mexico City, Mexico
  • 2016 — A Arquitectura dos Artistas, Atelier Museu Júlio Pomar, Lisbon, Portugal
  • 2017 — Uma Fresta de Possibilidade - Duas Colecções em Diálogo, Fórum Eugénio de Almeida, Évora, Portugal
  • 2018 — Escutar as Águas - Obras da Coleção Schneider e de artistas portugueses, Museu do Dinheiro, Lisbon, Portugal
  • 2020 — Infinite Sculpture. From the Antique Cast to the 3D Scan, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Lisbon, Portugal
  • 2021 — Pitching itself a tent where all may enter, Quinta do Quetzal, Portugal
  • 2008 — Articulações, Fábrica da Cerveja, Faro, Portugal
  • 2012 — Out of range, Roma Contemporary, Rome, Italy
  • 2019 — Criteria, Galeria do Torreão Nascente da Cordoaria, Lisbon, Portugal
  • 2013 — Chantiers d'Europe, Palais de Tokyo, Paris, France
  • 2015 — Eppur si muove- Art et Technique, Un Espace Partagé, Mudam Luxembourg, Luxembourg
  • 2016 — Convidados de Verão, Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, Lisbon, Portugal
  • 2017 — Vantablack, Galerie Jocelyn Wolff, Paris, France
  • 2018 — Intersticial: Diálogos no espaço entre acontecimento I e II, Núcleo de Arte da Oliva, São João da Madeira, Portugal
  • 2020 — FOUR FLAGS, Galeria Zé dos Bois, Lisbon, Portugal
  • 2021 — Flora, Atelier Museu Júlio Pomar, Lisbon, Portugal
  • 2008 — Nota de encomenda, Livraria Assírio & Alvim, Lisbon, Portugal
  • 2015 — Sculptures also die, Palazzo Strozzi, Florence, Italy
  • 2012 — 3 moscas, Auditório do Museu de Serralves, Porto, Portugal (with Pedro Morais, Jorge Queiroz, André Maranha and Bonecos de Santo Aleixo)
  • 2013 — Arte y Óptica, Espacio Fundación Telefónica, Lima, Perú
  • 2016 — Sombras, Máscaras e Títeres da Colecção do Museu da Marioneta, Galeria do Torreão Nascente da Cordoaria Nacional, Lisbon, Portugal
  • 2017 — Über das Fügen der Dinge - Par Raccroc, Galerie Jocelyn Wolff, Paris, France
  • 2018 — Variations Portugaises, Centre d’art contemporain, Meymac, France
  • 2020 — Constellations III: a choreography of minimal gestures, Museu Berardo, Lisbon, Portugal
  • 2012 — Locus Solus. Impressões de Raymond Roussel, Museu de Arte Contemporânea de Serralves, Porto, Portugal
  • 2013 — Des gestes de la pensée, La Verrière Hermès, Brussels, Belgium
  • 2016 — Todo o Património é Poesia, Fórum Eugénio de Almeida, Évora, Portugal
  • 2020 — Anuário 19, Palácio das Artes, Porto, Portugal
  • 2012 — knell dobre glas, Galeria Quadrado Azul, Lisbon/ Porto, Portugal
  • 2013 — El instinto olvidado, Labor, Mexico
  • 2016 — João Maria Gusmão + Pedro Paiva e Francisco Tropa - Colecção António Cachola, Chiado 8, Lisbon, Portugal
  • 2013 — Nouvelles impressions de Raymond Roussel, Palais de Tokyo, Paris, France
  • 2016 — Materiais Transitórios - Núcleo de Escultura da Colecção da Fundação PLMJ, Sociedade Nacional de Belas Artes, Lisbon, Portugal

Collections

  • , Fundación María Cristina Masaveu Peterson, Spain
  • , Fundação de Serralves, Portugal
  • , Fundação Leal Rios, Portugal
  • , Fundação Luso-Americana para o Desenvolvimento, Portugal
  • , Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, Portugal
  • , Fundação EDP, Portugal
  • , Caixa Geral de Depósitos, Portugal
  • , Banco Privado Português, Portugal
  • , Direcção-Geral das Artes, Portugal
  • , Fundação PLMJ, Portugal
  • , Ar.Co, Portugal
  • , MUDAM, Luxembourg
  • , Fundação Carmona e Costa, Portugal
  • , Fundación ARCO, Spain
  • , Philadelphia Museum of Art, USA
  • , Museu Reina Sofia, Spain
  • , CNAP (Centre National des Arts Plastiques), France
  • , Colecção da Câmara Municipal de Lisboa, Portugal
  • , Colecção do Município do Porto, Portugal

Works

Chas, 2018

Wood, sand and brass + photograph mounted on screen printed background

Variable dimensions

Image credits: Filipe Braga

1 / 30

Exhibitions

Editions

News