Pavilhão Julião Sarmento

The Pavilhão Julião Sarmento is a new museum of contemporary art in Lisbon, created with a compact and intimate scale shaped by the distinct collection of the artist Julião Sarmento (1948–2021), gathered over several decades through the artist’s close and enduring relationship with the artistic community around him. Comprising around 1,500 works, this international collection forms the foundation of the institution’s identity, offering a singular entry point into a wide constellation of artistic practices, dialogues, and affinities that marked Sarmento’s life and work.

Developed within a former municipal food warehouse, the museum has been transformed into a contemporary art centre through an architectural project led by João Luís Carrilho da Graça and a visual identity conceived by Pedro Falcão. Located in Belém, next to many of Lisbon’s major cultural institutions, the Pavilhão presents itself as a place where visual arts intersect with cinema, literature, performance, music, fashion, and other fields, reflecting the transdisciplinary spirit that characterised Sarmento’s approach. It also embraces his conviction that “a work of art must always ask questions rather than make assertions.”¹

Directed by Isabel Carlos, the museum positions itself not merely as a space for exhibitions but as an active platform for experimentation, production, and the exchange of artistic knowledge. Its programme includes regular curatorial explorations of the collection, multidisciplinary public initiatives, and efforts to nurture a dynamic artistic community engaged with contemporary thought and practice.

¹ Julião Sarmento, MAMAC Nice, Silvana Editoriale, 2014, p. 67.