FLR – Fundação Leal Rios is a Portuguese institution governed by private
law whose main goals are the dissemination, upkeep, preservation and
promotion of works and artists represented in the contemporary art
collection, which brothers Manuel and Miguel Rios have been assembling
since 2002.
Located in Lisbon, in a former automobile workshop, specifically restored
and adapted for the purpose by the architect Alexandre Marques Pereira,
Fundação Leal Rios collection is accessible to the public through
temporary exhibitions, events and complementary activities, such as
workshops and talks, in order to contribute to a better understanding and
knowledge of Portuguese and international contemporary art.
Among the many Portuguese artists represented in the collection we can
find an important group of works by not only Helena Almeida (b. 1934),
pioneer in photographic and conceptual art, but also other authors such
as Lourdes Castro (b. 1930) founder of the KWY Group in Paris, whose
most iconic works are made from shadows and silhouettes; Julião
Sarmento (1948-2021), a fundamental author, who since the 1970s has
been using multiple media with a rare visual and conceptual coherence.
The collection also includes important groups of works by international
artists such as Erwin Wurm (b. 1954, AT), Matt Mullican (b. 1951, US),
Cristina Iglesias (b. 1956, ES), Mohau Modisakeng (b. 1986, ZA),
Lawrence Weiner (b. 1942, US), Jorinde Voigt (b. 1977, DE), Joël
Andrianomearisoa (b. 1977, MG), Becky Beasley (b. 1975, GB) or Tristan
Perich (n. 1982, US).
In addition to more conventional media such as painting, sculpture,
drawing or photography, the collection is particularly devoted to video,
installation and time-based media languages.
In September 2021, Fundação Leal Rios and the Serralves Foundation
signed a protocol to integrate 287 pieces from the Leal Rios collection on
a deposit basis. This contract is an important milestone in the Leal Rios
Foundation’s journey, as it allows part of its collection to be integrated into
the universe of the Serralves Museum, Portugal’s leading museum of
contemporary art, which, due to its scale and projection, both nationally
and internationally, will substantially expand the scope for promoting this
collection and the artists represented in it, thus meeting the Foundation’s
mission.
Since 2016, Fundação Leal Rios has integrated two reputed contemporary art data bases of international relevance - BMW guide and Larry's List - thus constituting a landmark in the recognition of this collection relevance in the international panorama of private art collectors.
The numerous loans of artworks to institutions around the world are also a way of accomplishing our mission with a universal dimension.
