Must-See: ‘Casa Vale Ferreira’ Redresses Queer Histories

This review is part of a series of Must-See shows, in which a writer delivers a snapshot of a current exhibition  

‘Casa Vale Ferreira’ at Serralves Villa is the first anthological exhibition of the duo João Pedro Vale + Nuno Alexandre Ferreira, who have been working together for over 20 years. Their works fill almost all corners of the art deco former private residence, including the kitchen and bathrooms. Although their practice is defined by a diversity of media, from imposing sculptures to neon signs and small installations, the non-chronological layout of the exhibition emphasises its enduring characteristic: the artists’ committed battle against the marginalisation of LGBTQ+ bodies and identities.

As they enter the villa, visitors are invited to wear one of almost 100 jackets that comprise the installation The Tearoom (2024), specifically conceived for the exhibition. Each garment, on which the artists have diligently stitched images, words and metal studs, is dedicated to an LGBTQ+ personality, famous for defending the rights of the community. These include a merry-go-round of figures, such as Claude Cahun, Félix González-Torres, Pier Paolo Pasolini and Gisberta (a trans woman assassinated in Porto in 2006). By taking the garments from the circular coat rack and wearing them around the gallery, the audience reactivates their radical spirit. The title of the piece comes from a slang term for a public toilet, in which queer people might meet for clandestine sexual encounters, particularly in an era in which queer sex was criminalized.

Another peculiar iteration of the ‘tearoom’ materializes upstairs: Vagrants (2018) is a circular metal pissoir inspired by old-style public urinals. Crowded with graffiti declaiming verses by António Botto, Raul Leal and Judith Teixeira, queer Portuguese authors whose books were considered immoral and seized in the 1920s, alongside an interior dotted with glory holes and a pervading smell of poppers, Vagrants is both attractive and repelling. It urges viewers to step out of their comfort zone, reminding us that rights are the result of struggle over time, and that nothing should be taken for granted.

João Pedro Vale & Nuno Alexandre Ferreira's ‘Casa Vale Ferreira’ is on view at Serralves Villa, Porto until 17 November

_{Main image: João Pedro Vale + Nuno Alexandre Ferreira, ‘Casa Vale Ferreira’, 2024, installation view. Courtesy: the artists and Casa de Serralves, Fundação de Serralves - Museu de Arte Contemporânea; photograph: © Filipe Braga}