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Rui Calçada Bastos’ (Lisbon, 1971) work focuses on urban landscapes, objects, shapes and situations that would perhaps be overlooked at first glance. Working with and in the cities he has passed through or lived in, the artist explores details, memories, gestures and urban narratives as possible sublime glimpses. Through photography, video, sculpture, painting and installation, he develops his themes in a poetic way, confronting the spectator with a self-referential view.

A selection of his most relevant exhibitions include: Inaspettatamente (Cloud Seven, Brussels, 2021), I can’t see you, but I know you’re here (Galeria Bruno Múrias, 2020), Unsettling Affairs (Colégio das Artes, Coimbra, 2019), Constelações: Uma Coreografia de Gestos Mínimos (Berardo Museum, 2019), Escala 1:1 (Tabacalera, Madrid, 2018,) Portugal em Flagrante – Operation 3 (Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, 2017), Portugal, Portugueses / Museu Afro Brasil (São Paulo, 2016), Walking Distance (MAAT, 2016), O Espírito de Cada Época (Instituto Figueiredo Ferraz, Ribeirão Preto, Brasil, 2015)), Hospitalidade (CGAC, Santiago de Compostela, 2014), Super8 (MAM, Rio de Janeiro, 2013), Par Terre (Espace Photographique Contretype, Brussels, 2012), Unfinished Journeys (Nasjonalmuseet for Kunst, Arkitektur og Design, Oslo, 2012), Super8 (Yerba Buena Center for the Art, San Francisco, 2012), Overseas (Kunstverein Arnsberg, Germany, 2011), Checkpoint Berlin (Centre d’Art Contemporain, Annemasse, 2008), Itinerários.2006/2007 (Fundación Marcelino Botín, Santander, 2008), Wir haben keine Probleme (Bergen Kunsthall, Bergen, Norway, 2007), Pequeños Problemas (Circulo de Bellas Artes, Madrid, 2006), The Peninsula (Singapore History Museum, Singapore, 2006), Algunas Figuras – Arte Contemporánea en Portugal(Laboratorio Arte Alameda, Mexico City, 2005), It’s Romantic not to be Romantic (Kunstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin, 2003), among others.

His work is represented in important collections such as: NBK – Neuer Berliner Kunstverein; Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian; Instituto Figueiredo Ferraz; Coleção de Arte Contemporânea do Estado – CACE; Fundação MAAT / EDP; IVAM – Instituto Valenciano de Arte Moderna; Fundação PLMJ; Coleção EGEAC-CML; The Frédéric de Goldschmidt Collection; Fundação Oriente; Coleção António Cachola; CGAC- Centro Galego de Arte Contemporánea; Coleção de Fotografia Contemporânea Novo Banco; Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Santander y Cantabria; Plancius Collection; Oliva Arauna Collection; CAV – Centro de Artes Visuais; Susanne & Werner Peyer Collection; Coleção Ordonez-Falcon, among others.

CV

Residences, Grants, Awards

2019 – Artist in Residence at Officina Mundi. Avis. Portugal
2015 – Artist in Residence at Atelier Fidalga. Paulo Reis Residency. São Paulo.
2011 – First Prize. VAFA, International Video Festival. Macao. South China.
2011 – Artists in Residence at Villa Aurora, Los Angeles, U.S.A.
2008 – Recipient of a Fundação Oriente Grant. Lisbon.
2006 – Recipient of a Marcelino Botin Foundation Grant, Spain.
2005 -Nominated for the “Uniao Latina” Prize. Lisbon.
2004 – Recipient of a Arbeitsstipendium der Senatsverweltung fur Wissenschaft, Forschungund Kultur Grant. Berlin.
2003 – Artist in Residence, Kunstlerhaus Bethanien. Berlin.
2002 – Artist in residence, Cité International des Arts, Paris.