Lisbon Art & Design Week: Exclusive Access and Collector Insights

Lisbon Art & Design Week
26 to 30 May 2026

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Last month, our Lisbon members experienced an exceptional week of cultural discovery during the city's renowned Art & Design Week. From VIP fair access to intimate private collection visits, here's what unfolded when contemporary art meets collector expertise.
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Exclusive Access, Expert Guidance

Our members received GUEST passes to ARCO Lisbon, providing VIP access to opening day festivities and curated programming throughout the week. Our guided tour spotlighted international galleries including Max Estrella, Sabrina Amrani, Ackerman Clarke, Barò, and Portas Vilaseca, offering insights that transform casual browsing into informed collecting.
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At Lisbon by Design, we arranged direct conversations with creators themselves. Members met woodworkers Eduardo Orue and Paul Boucher, discovered Oficina Marques' monumental horse installations, and learned how ceramist Amande Haeghen's recent Iceland journey influenced her latest works. A collaborative proposal by Henriette Arcelin (ceramic), Lucie Schweitzer (textile), and Mathilde Gallien (wood) demonstrated how contemporary makers push creative boundaries.

Discovering Hidden Collections

Perhaps the week's most significant discovery was Forward Art Stories, a private collection focusing on African contemporary art and Portuguese-Lusophone diaspora artists. Collection manager Carolina Fontes provided exclusive access to their office-based collection, sharing the founders' vision for supporting emerging artists and expanding dialogue around African contemporary art through exhibitions and collaborations.
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This kind of behind-the-scenes access, connecting with collection builders, understanding their methodologies, and witnessing curatorial thinking in action, exemplifies what sets serious collecting apart from casual acquisition.

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Once again, we enjoyed a remarkable art and design week in Lisbon, discovering fresh creative proposals while experiencing the considerable artistic potential this city continues to offer year after year.

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