MAV Sessions: Manuel Santos Maia

Manuel Santos Maia has been exhibiting regularly since 1999, having presented his work in countries such as England, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Norway, Spain, Italy, the United States, Brazil, Macau, Morocco, Angola, and Algeria. In Portugal, his work has been presented at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Serralves Foundation, National Museum of Ethnology, Porto Municipal Gallery, Visual Arts Center, Museum of Neo-Realism, Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso Museum, CIAJG and Oliva Art Center, ÁguedaArts Center, Lagos Cultural Center, Teixeira Lopes House-Museum, College of Arts and Circle of Plastic Arts of Coimbra, in the Municipal Galleries of Lisbon, Quadrum and Avenida da Índia Gallery, University of Porto Rectorate Gallery, Catholic University of Porto Gallery, Zé dos Bois Gallery, Nuno Centeno Gallery, Quadrado Azul Gallery and Fernando Santos Gallery or Graça Brandão Gallery.

Since 1999, he has been developing the “alheava” project, integrating photography, video, painting, drawing, sound, film, performance art, and publications.

He has curated several exhibitions in Lisbon, Braga, Guimarães, Viana do Castelo, Vila Nova de Cerveira, Coimbra, Viseu, Guarda, Sintra, Elvas, Faro, Lagos, Tavira, among others. He has organized and co-organized film series and performance art exhibitions and has organized debates, conversations, and conferences with creators from different artistic fields, curators, artist-curators, critics, and historians.

He was the artistic director of Espaço Campanhã (2008-2009) and, since 2013, of Espaço MIRA. Currently, he is a lecturer at Lusófona University. He has taught at ESAP, IPCI, and Balleteatro.