The Portuguese Printmaking Centre and the Coliseu Micaelense join forces in a new partnership to create Matriz Atlântica, a project dedicated to contemporary visual arts that aims to establish the Azores as a territory for artistic creation, reflection, and dialogue.

The project will be presented on 10 September, in Ponta Delgada, in a gathering that will bring together artists, institutions, foundations, companies, galleries, and collectors.

Born from a cooperation agreement between the two institutions, Matriz Atlântica will feature an ongoing programme including exhibitions, artist residencies at Atelier CPS, screen-printing and printmaking editions, cultural outreach initiatives, and opportunities for reflection on contemporary visual arts.

For the CPS, this partnership represents an opportunity to further its mission of promoting and democratising art, bringing contemporary artistic creation closer to new audiences and territories, while contributing to the recognition of Azorean artists and strengthening their connection to the national art scene.

The project's conceptual and curatorial direction will be led by D. André de Quiroga, art historian and curator.

The presentation of Matriz Atlântica will be accompanied by the conference "Patronage and Contemporary Art", dedicated to the role of companies, foundations, and collectors in supporting artistic creation and developing local cultural ecosystems. António Prates, founder of the CPS, will participate in the panel dedicated to collecting and social responsibility.  

Confirmed speakers: 

• Alberto Soares — Secretary of State for Culture
• Piedade Lalanda — President of the Economic and Social Council of the Azores
• Rui Gonçalves — Director of Legal Services at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation
• Ana Feijó da Cunha — Director of the "La Caixa" Foundation Portugal
• António Prates — Founder and President of the Portuguese Printmaking Centre
• Vera Champalimaud Cortês — Gallerist and Cultural Manager
• Frederick Lehmann — President of the Board of EXHIBITIO
• Filomena Marques — Director of MG Consulting Services

The conference is organised into three thematic panels:

• Tax Incentives and Cultural Funding, featuring specialists in the fields of law, taxation, and cultural management;
• Foundations as Drivers of the Local Ecosystem, bringing together representatives of some of Portugal's leading foundations;
• Collecting and Social Responsibility, focusing on the role of collectors in the appreciation, preservation, and democratisation of art.

Registration to attend the presentation and conference is now open at: https://forms.gle/4cM4Fu88fjxJVhSr5 

Through this partnership, the CPS reinforces its commitment to creating new opportunities for artists and strengthening the connection between art, territory, and community, helping to build new bridges between the Azores and the national art scene.