Between Continents
November 4, 2026–February 28, 2027
Arena 3003
A series of performances and activities
October 25, 2026–April 3, 2027
Lisbon 1400-207
Portugal
Iris Buchholz Chocolate, Between Continents
November 4, 2026–February 28, 2027
Curated by: Isabel Carlos
Pavilhão Julião Sarmento presents Between Continents, a solo exhibition by Iris Buchholz Chocolate. Bringing together two installations shown for the first time in Europe, the exhibition explores connections between Europe and Africa, examining the entanglement of memory, colonialism, migration, and intergenerational cultural transmission. Born in Schorndorf, Germany, in 1974, Buchholz Chocolate has been closely connected to Luanda since 2003, initially through her work with the Luanda Triennial.
In A Sul. O Sombreiro (2015), sculptural objects evoke structures of military, secular and ecclesiastical power. The title refers to Pepetela’s novel of the same name, inspired by the colonial conquest of the Benguela region in the seventeenth century. Developed over two years with hairdressers, blacksmiths, tailors and seamstresses in Luanda and Vienna, the installation sets African artisanal techniques in dialogue with visual codes associated with European courts.
The second installation, Tudo Aquilo de Que Não Nos Lembramos (2022–2026) creates an environment draped in blue fabric, accompanied by sounds of underwater breathing, wind and fire. Addressing ancestry, the transatlantic slave trade and historical conflicts alongside water scarcity, marine pollution and environmental crisis, the installation engages with José Eduardo Agualusa’s book Estação das Chuvas to reflect on historical memory and the possibility of a shared future.
An accompanying programme includes the artist-led workshop The Skin of the Invisible, on November 5 and 6, from 3 to 5pm, and two conversations with the artist on November 7: in Portuguese at 4pm and in English at 6pm.
What is happening in Arena 3003?
As part of the exhibition Once Upon a Time in America, on view at Pavilhão Julião Sarmento from July 4, 2026, to May 30, 2027, Rita McBride’s Arena 3003 hosts a series of performances and activities.
Like the original Arena, Arena 3003 engages with modernist ideas of architectural order, function and spectatorship. Built for its Lisbon presentation by students from Universidade Autónoma de Lisboa’s Department of Architecture, under McBride’s guidance and using reused materials, it transforms the gallery into a space for collective occupation, social exchange and live action. Two programmes activate the structure through performance, dance, theatre and literature: Arena 3003: Momentum Lisbon, initiated by Rita McBride, and LOCUS, conceived by Mariana Viterbo Brandão.
Momentum Lisbon begins on November 25 with Momentum Continued, an audiovisual performance by Discoteca Flaming Star (with Cristina Gómez Barrio and Wolfgang Mayer), in which multiple projections and sound sources bring images and sounds into overlapping, shifting and repeating relations. On December 2, choreographer Alexandra Waierstall presents an interlude for Arena 3003. Performed by three dancers, the work unfolds through forms of joint negotiation and alignment, exploring shifting constellations, relations and interactions between bodies in space and time, accompanied by an original composition by Volker Bertelmann, aka Hauschka.
LOCUS began on October 25 with Ballroom Scene (Open Practice), invited by Piny, bringing together the Portuguese Ballroom community, including Iconic House of Revlon and invited Kiki Houses, around collective practice and the occupation of institutional space. The programme continues on December 12 with Entrar em Cena, a Forum Theatre session by Grupo de Teatro do Oprimido de Lisboa, and concludes on April 3, 2027, with Clube de Leitura [Book Club], devised by Teatro Meia Volta, combining literature, migration narratives, self-publishing workshops and an open book-making session led by Oficina do Cego.
Further activations of the Arena 3003 include Close Circle, a conversation on Julião Sarmento’s relationship with cinema, with João Pedro Rodrigues and Rui Tendinha on November 11 at 6pm, and CORPUS CONECTUS, a performance by Vasco Araújo on November 18 at 6pm.
Contact: pavilhaojuliaosarmento.pt / info@pavilhaojuliaosarmento.pt
