Lisbon’s MAAT will open a new exhibition on October 2, bringing together the work of Valentino Garavani and Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos as part of the museum’s 10th-anniversary program.
“VENUS – Valentino Garavani Through the Eyes of Joana Vasconcelos” will run until February 22, 2027, at the MAAT Gallery in Belém.
The exhibition places more than 30 haute couture and ready-to-wear creations by Valentino alongside works by Vasconcelos, creating a direct exchange between fashion and contemporary art.
The project originated with the Fondazione Valentino Garavani e Giancarlo Giammetti and has been reworked specifically for MAAT.
Rather than presenting the garments as a conventional fashion retrospective, the exhibition uses Vasconcelos’s installations to reinterpret Valentino’s visual language through scale, materials, and craftsmanship.
At its center is Valkyrie Venus, a monumental textile work created in 2025.
Around it, Valentino pieces are shown alongside some of Vasconcelos’s best-known works, including Marilyn, her oversized high-heeled shoes constructed from stainless-steel pots and lids, and Independent Heart #3, which draws on the traditional Portuguese Coração de Viana.
The exhibition also includes new works developed in response to Valentino’s archive, extending the relationship between the designer’s use of ornament, pattern and craftsmanship and Vasconcelos’s own approach to familiar materials and cultural references.
The setting is significant. MAAT was conceived around the intersection of art, architecture, and technology, and the exhibition has been adapted to the scale and layout of its galleries rather than transferred unchanged from an earlier presentation.
The museum describes the project as a dialogue between contemporary art and haute couture.
For Lisbon, the exhibition adds another internationally recognizable name to an increasingly ambitious cultural calendar. MAAT has become one of the city’s most prominent contemporary institutions since opening in 2016, and its anniversary program places that role in sharper focus.
The combination of Valentino and Vasconcelos is particularly fitting for Lisbon: an international fashion legacy interpreted through the work of a Portuguese artist whose career has repeatedly moved between local traditions and large-scale contemporary art.
Unlock the door to exclusive property opportunities in Portugal with our bespoke advisory services. We pride ourselves on providing objective, client-focused advice that empowers you to make informed decisions.
From market analysis to legal support, we cover every detail. Don’t miss out on your perfect Portuguese property, contact us to begin your journey.
