This exhibition did not "fall from the sky". It was desired, prepared and is absolutely appropriate for the celebration of the first anniversary of MMIPO.
Rui Chafes is present at the Museum of the Misericórdia do Porto since its opening through the sculpture "My Blood is Your Blood." And from the very first time the art of Chafes coexists, in harmony but without losing the strength of its identity, with the works of sculptors, painters and architects of the past centuries. The foundational idea of the museum was precisely that: to publicize the historical side of the Misericórdia but, at the same time, to show that the objectives that impelled it in the past to exert solidarity and charity in favor of the most vulnerable, are the same that motivate this institution today. At the Misericórdia, Past and Present are moments of desire to be serving others. Combining tradition with modernity; extracting from history the inspiration for the commitment to concrete people that, in the present time, are in need of food, shelter, health but also of culture that is becoming an absolute prerequisite of an individual's integral development. In this aspect, the Museum is a place of inclusion, as is in essence, the Santa Casa da Misericórdia.
If the Museum is a home of culture, a temple to the beauty, and often an appeal to transcendency, a small sample of the abundant artistic work of Rui Chafes comes to this space as if it had been begotten to it. In fact, it is the sculptor to state that he attempts to do transcendental art.
Furthermore the Rui Chafes sculptures generate questions about the meaning of things, of life and death. They bring a message. He even says that the forms that come out of his hands operate as writing characters. For full understanding it is necessary attention and some effort from the observer. The art has to wake us up. After all, a museum can be an excellent place for reflection. This exhibition reinforces this characteristic of MMIPO.
Francisco Ribeiro da Silva
Board member of the Cult and Culture of Santa Casa da Misericórdia do Porto
