Presentation

Multidisciplinary and true to its mission, the Serralves Foundation is considered to be one of Portugal’s most successful and consolidated cultural projects, with unique international projection and recognition.

Located in the city of Porto, the Foundation has a rich historical and cultural heritage.

The Museum of Contemporary Art, a project by the globally renowned architect Álvaro Siza - Pritzker Prize 1992, presents exhibitions by leading Portuguese and foreign artists, among many other activities. In 2024, the new wing of the Museum was inaugurated, named the Álvaro Siza Wing, in honor of its author. In this new building, exhibitions dedicated to the Serralves Collection and Architecture are presented.

The 18-hectare Serralves Park, designed by Jacques Gréber, ,and which was awarded the "Henry Ford Prize for the Preservation of the Environment” in 1997, is a unique reference in Portugal's landscape heritage. It harbours a wide diversity of spaces, including formal gardens, woodlands, a traditional farm and a Treetop Walk- an elevated route, next to the treetops, which allows for an impactful experience of observation and study of the Park's Biodiversity.

The iconic Serralves Villa is a unique example of Art Deco architecture. Some of the most important European furniture designers contributed to its interior, such as Émile Jacques Ruhlmann, René Lalique and Edgar Brandt.

Providing regular access to the work of Manoel de Oliveira - the most renowned Portuguese film director - the Casa do Cinema Manoel de Oliveira is dedicated to cinema. Also a project by Álvaro Siza, features exhibitions, film cycles and conferences.

In 2012, Serralves’ Park and buildings were jointly classified as a "National Monument”. This is the most important heritage classification level, and was granted in recognition of Serralves’ cultural, architectural and landscape value and the investment in the enhancement, animation and dissemination of the Foundation’s heritage assets.

The creation of the Serralves Foundation in 1989, as a private institution of public utility, marked the beginning of an innovative partnership between the State and civil society. After 25 years this is the opportunity to thank everyone who has supported Serralves, including its Founders, Patrons and visitors, and all those who have collaborated with Serralves - thereby demonstrating the community’s increasing and continuous adhesion to this project.

Serralves aims to be recognized nationally and internationally as a centre of excellence in the field of contemporary art and, in general, in terms of reflection about key contemporary social issues, thus promoting the diversity of the cultural offer, through an innovative intervention that will steadily attract diverse audiences and induce greater community support.