the portuguese prison photo project – an exhibition about photographical insights into Portuguese prisons
From 10th October 2021 until 5th January 2022 at Torre do Tombo in Lisbon.
Luis Barbosa
Photographer and teacher at the Instituto Português de Fotografia IPF Porto | born in 1975 in Porto, Portugal | recipient of the award of the S.A.P. for best work of photography 2017 | www.luisbarbosaphotography.com
Specializes in social and cultural photo documentation. His interest in photography started in the darkroom, a black and white technique which he still favours although he works also with digital cameras. He has shown his photographs in various exhibitions and gives insights of his approach of photography on his website and blog. He trained at the IPF Porto, where he now teaches photography. Asked to participate in this project, he was very enthusiastic. In his black and white pictures of the prisons visited, he wanted to put the emphasis on atmosphere and ambiance.
„As I never entered a prison before, I was pleased to be soon allowed to discover a new, hidden world, but also aware that participating would bring some emotional charge.“
Peter M. Schulthess
Photographer SBF*, specialized in architectural photography, particularly of prisons | born in 1966 in Basel, Switzerland
www.prison.photography
His first photographic experience with a prison was in the old penitentiary of Basel, 15 years ago. It led to his lasting interest in prison and correctional photography. Documenting detention places and prison life became a long term project as a photographer and author. Next to the prisons of Switzerland, he visited facilities in Germany and now in Portugal. During his visits of Portuguese prisons in 2016/2017, he was accompanied by Gilda Santos of the University of Porto and in 2020 by Catarina Frois, ISCTE Lisbon.
*He is a member of the Swiss Professional Photographers and Film Creators SBF.
“This project is a step into an unknown world, in a country I had never visited before. What would I see and what would I be allowed to photograph? Which pictures would I be allowed to show?”
The exhibition
19 October 2021 – 5 January 2022
From 19 October 2021 to 5 January 2022, both photographers present their vision and points of view of 8 prisons, with 28 large format prints. Furthermore, each of these prisons is presented separately in large portfolio albums. These offer a more in-depth view of the architecture, the daily life and living conditions of the detainees, and the environment of the staff. A short text presentation of each prison helps in better deciphering the pictures. No guided tour is planned.
Torre do Tombo, Lisbon
National Archives of Portugal I Monumental new building from 1991 I based on the campus of the University of Lisbon in the Campo Grande city district
The new building of the National Archives holds state-related documents, historic files and more recent publications of all sorts, and accommodates its administrative offices, a reading room and spaces for exhibitions.
