Born in Lisbon in 1935, João Charters de Almeida lives and works in Portugal. He completed his studies at the Escola Superior de Belas-Artes in Porto, became a professor, then decided to devote himself exclusively to his art practice.
His work is included in numerous collections, including those of the British Museum, the Sao Paolo Museum of Contemporary Art, and the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Lisbon. He is also well represented in the public space through large-scale projects in Macau (1993) and Lisbon (2000), among other locations.
Artwork description
Myth is the main theme of this 19-metre-high granite sculpture. The artwork addresses these foundational stories of cultures as timeless accounts, signs of a humanity that escapes the linearity of time.
Here, the artist is concerned with the symbolism of the door and the passage as poetic figures of interstice, future, and resignation. In continuity with de Almeida’s artistic approach, La Ville imaginaire is a frame that oscillates “between the desire for continuity and the need for rupture.”
Its site in Parc Jean-Drapeau offers a peaceful environment appropriate for experiencing the artwork. The sculpture invites the viewer to discover doors and passageways that, as the artist notes, “are the response to the conscious or subconscious imagining of a universe.” Set apart from the weight of time and space, the sculpture invites contemplation and reflection in a space on the edge of the real city.