"Democracy Collection - Advocacy Through Art": New exhibition at Católica talks about Democracy and Art

The first lady of the United States, Jill Biden, was at Universidade Católica to inaugurate the new exhibition, "Democracy Collection - Advocacy Through Art", together with the President of Católica, Isabel Capeloa Gil, and the US ambassador in Portugal, Randi Levine, on 5 June. Find out all about the exhibition and visit it at the headquarters of the University, in Lisbon, until July 11.

Organized on the occasion of the opening of the celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the "Art in Embassies" (AIE) program, the exhibition results from the partnership between Universidade Católica and the United States Embassy in Portugal.

Megan Beyer, director of the AIE, believes that "art can make you feel what an ambassador can only try to make you understand". For this exhibition dedicated to democracy, works by five American artists were selected: Hank Willis Thomas; America Irby; Sanford Bigger; Lawrence Weiner; Xaviera Simmons; and the Portuguese artist, Vasco Araújo.

60 years after the creation of the Art in Embassies programme by John F. Kennedy, President of the United States, to develop intercultural dialogues and promote mutual understanding through the visual arts, "Joseph Biden, calls on the world to strengthen, to defend, to fight for democracy", explains the IEA director and head of the exhibition. "And now, the office of art in embassies answers that call with the global democracy initiative," she concludes.

The exhibition is part of the Cultura@Católica programme, and may be visited, for free, until July 11, from Monday to Friday, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., at the Fundação Amélia de Mello Gallery, at the headquarters of Católica, in Lisbon.

Group visits at other times should be requested via catolicacultura@gmail.com.