Pedro Oliveira

Pedro Oliveira says that the embryonic art market starts in the 80s, in Portugal. From 79-80, when the political situation begins to calm down, start opening some galleries, shyly. It was there that appeared the Gallery Roma e Pavia was through my brother. After 85 took care of the gallery. Earlier poured myself some friends, especially Jaime Isidoro, started with the artists of my generation. It was a bit of market / dealing: doing exhibitions, little by little, in new trends, but as we had to earn money doing parallel market, through friends who arranged more expensive works, as was the case of Jaime Isidoro. From 90 it started to grow, and appeared many art critics. From there I decided to move facilities and go for something greater, and came here. At the time it was the largest gallery of Portugal, and started moving towards the international market and does more international programming. I ventured out of here, to get contacts. That was my golden period, the decade from 1990 to 2000. I won enough money, things went fine to me, brought forth names of very interesting artists of international art. Despite all still kept some interesting pace until mid-2000. The discovery of the Brazilian market was at the entry of Brazilian artists. Now have 25 artists and 6 exhibitions a year do they have to wait 3 years to get around.

Pedro Oliveira is a defender that the galleries should be networking and do not mind sharing with other collectors galleries.

Pedro Oliveira believes it might be interesting to have specialized auctions houses of contemporary art in Portugal, such as Christie's or Sotheby's, and that this would not affect the galleries: "could not affect much if there was a history of good auctions level of contemporary art in Portugal, which never happened. "

Pedro Oliveira believes that auctions in Portugal are a mixed: it is with silverware antiques with contemporary art through. Contemporary art to appear at auction but strayed things. And all that appears is a very low, which is very bad. The only auction company that was willing to risk in doing one or two auctions of contemporary art in Portugal, was the S. Domingos, in Oporto, made ​​me for this proposal I submit to APGA (Portuguese Association of Art Galleries), only that APGA would not risk it.

Pedro Oliveira stated that there was much money in Oporto in the 80s; there were many collectors, especially in the industrial belt textile and footwear industry. I also had many contacts in Spain, especially Galicians who came here to Oporto. Since 2000 Oporto declined, Lisbon started to grow and began to appear in large collections in Lisbon. The head offices of large companies, some began to do, professionals, advisers, as Culturgest, EDP and Banks (Photo BES), but rather to individuals and to society PLMJ lawyers well-structured collections. Sáragga Leal was already a collector, was able to convince members of PMLJ to form a corporate collection, and have focused on very young people were helped by Manuel Amado, who is an art critic and at the time was the adviser of them. If there is an artist that starts getting famous they buy. Also began to open many galleries in Lisbon. Despite being in Oporto, I sold a lot to Lisbon and exposed some of my artists in Lisbon through some galleries or institutions, 2001-2008. Then came the collapse of Lehman Brother and ruined everything!

Pedro Oliveira states that art fairs are important. To disclose, to show and to create contacts. Got to sell all he had to empty the stand, at Art Basel Switzerland, which is the Rolls Royce of art fairs. Only this time the Portuguese cannot afford to do art fairs. There is no support from the state and galleries have as a priority, given the current time of crisis, survival. If I am selling a part Portuguese abroad, I am exporting a commodity with a special connotation linked to culture, which is an important embassy, ​​is an asset to the level of the country's image.

Modern and Contemporary Art Collectors

Luis Castelo Lopes states that the concept of art investment begins in 1973 or 74 in which the pension fund of the English Railway had money that was an absurd thing and found that there was likely to be monetized some of that money. And then grabbed 0.4 % of the fund, which at that time were 40 million pounds, and delivered to a committee chaired by a guy from Sotheby’s. And started selling 10 years later, on 83 and 89 until sold. Of the initial 40 million, they made 280 million. And there were many curators who advised.

The fact that several collections made ​​without criteria since the mid 80s here in Portugal, were bought by counseling sometimes not very good. These collections were made generally in a short time, between five and ten. Another reality, he says, is the collection made over several decades, twenty, thirty, thoughtful, and generally more successful in terms of investment. By his experience also linked to the antiques market, the collections of family, generations, which include, in addition to painting, the furniture, the silver, porcelains, are a tradition of a certain type of art collectors who disappeared in Portugal.

Regarding collecting art Fernando Santos points out the shortage of collectors: there are not many collectors. “There are few collections that can be called collection.” And stresses how good collections Ilídio Pinho, with about 700 works, but this project has stopped. The Berardo Collection is also mentioned as a good collection.

Jaime Isidoro in 2004 about art collectors in Portugal claimed "there are a few. There are two large collections of Portuguese art, which is mine, with about 500 pieces, made ​​over 50 years, and Manuel Brito; it was I who started Jorge de Brito. The Berardo Collection is not of Portuguese art, Portuguese art is misrepresented.

Manuel de Brito in 2005 relates to shortage of collectors “there is not much. There are group of lawyers Saragga Leal. "

Pedro Alvim also relates this tradition of collecting classical art and antiques as a reality throughout the entire Ancient Regime.

For Peter Meerker the reflection of the economic crisis on the art market in Portugal, already narrow, the situation is dramatic. "We're going to galleries and no sales, the market is very narrow.” Collector’s role is very important because their collections are deposited in museums, if we look at history and we see great works of art around the world in its genesis they began to be acquired by a collector.

Joe Berardo states that the initial acquisition of the works was taken by Francisco Capelo, taking advantage of a favorable environment of low prices in the late 80s. The Portuguese art in 2003 was represented with 40 works totaling about 660.

Modern and Contemporary Art Auctions

As this art market began to grow and be attractive in several auction houses emerged in Portugal and associated themselves with this aspect of interest in the contemporary art market, mainly from 2000.

Auctions are essentially a framework of economic reference on the state of the art market.  Its activity is public, open and publicized, serve as guides to assess the quote of the artist.

Mainly specialized in the commercialization of art, ancient or modern, the auction houses have been ensuring their way into contemporary art in recent years.

The Palácio do Correio Velho Auction House was established in 1990. Currently beyond the Palácio do Correio Velho and Cabral Moncada, in Lisbon, World Legend (Leiria & Nascimento), S. Domingos and Marques dos Santos, in Oporto, are some which operate in this market.

Pedro Alvim states that in 1996, when Cabral Moncada Auctions was created, it was a very residual company. I came here in '99 and was a firm as at the beginning, very small. In fact the modern and contemporary art was completely residual. The first auction of modern and contemporary art was held in 2007 and from there make an annual auction only to the market for modern and contemporary art.

The auction houses that have traditionally existed in the Portuguese market until 2000-2002 were devoted to the antiques market.

Fernando Santos believes that currently the auction houses and galleries collide, there are a lot of offer, there are those who sell low prices by necessity, but some use auction houses for “strategy games “. Built up some artists like that, but it happens more in the international market.

Hargreaves, Manuela – Colecionismo e Mercado de Arte em Portugal, O Território e o Mapa. Porto: Edições Afrontamento, 2013.