Conference Cycle Great Artists on Campus #5: João Penalva
João Penalva creates visual narratives that intertwine image, sound, and archival material, challenging the boundaries between reality and fiction
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João Penalva (b. 1949, Lisbon) is a multidisciplinary artist whose career began in contemporary dance, having worked with Pina Bausch before settling in London in 1976.
A grant holder from the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation at the Chelsea School of Art, he initially focused on neo-expressionist painting.
In the 1990s, his practice expanded to include video, installation, and photography, exploring the complex intersection between image, text, and sound.
His work creates fictional spaces where rigorous research and archival materials — such as documents, letters, and found objects — are combined into narratives that challenge the perception between reality and fiction.
He represented Portugal at the São Paulo Biennial (1996) and the Venice Biennale (2001).
His distinctions include the DAAD Berlin Award (2003) and the Paul Hamlyn Foundation Award (2020).
After decades in the United Kingdom, he returned to Lisbon in 2021, maintaining a strong presence in leading international institutions.
