Manuel João Vieira: A Ilha Púrpura at MAAT

Known to the Portuguese public as a musician, performer, and satirical public figure, Manuel João Vieira reveals his painterly side in *A Ilha Púrpura: Notas e Paisagens* at the MAAT museum. The exhibition brings together works from a career that began in the 1980s, marked by an exuberant, narrative, and deeply eclectic figurative language. Populated by unusual characters, symbols, mythological references, and citations from Western art history, Vieira's paintings oscillate between humor, satire, and enigma.

Curated by João Pinharanda, the show highlights the theatrical dimension of Vieira's work. Many of the large-format canvases evoke stage sets and landscapes inhabited by fantastic beings, improbable architectures, and aquatic elements that link different narratives. From Greco-Roman tradition to surrealism, from baroque to metaphysical painting, the compositions dialogue with different eras and styles, building an imaginary where the past is revisited with irony and melancholy.

Between painting and performance, Vieira reaffirms a vision of the world as a stage, offering visitors a rich, provocative visual experience layered with meaning. The exhibition runs from May to September 2026 at the MAAT - Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology in Lisbon, open Wednesday to Monday from 10am to 7pm.