The Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology (MAAT) in Lisbon brings together art, architecture and technology in a space for debate, discovery, critical thinking and international dialogue. The museum comprises two buildings: the old Tejo power station – repurposed to display the science and technology collection – has been open since June, and an adjacent new building designed by architecture firm AL_A, which opens this month, will house temporary exhibitions on a range of themes.
The buildings sit on the bank of the Tagus river, which runs through central Lisbon. In fact, the new exhibition space, designed by AL_A founder Amanda Levete, is placed so that water laps onto its steps. This space will open with The World of Charles and Ray Eames, an exhibition that has travelled from the Barbican in London.
It’s a refurbished power station reviving the river front – is MAAT Portugal’s version of Tate Modern?
Pedro Gadanho: Tate has certainly been an inspiration, but we are more experimental and work with the local scene, providing crucial support for local artists and curators. It is important to us to combine the local art scene with the international one, rather than being a purely global player. We want to learn from the way Tate, and New York’s Museum of Modern Art, cater for international audiences, but our goal is to become part of a global dialogue about art that is relevant to our society, rather than getting high visitor figures.
How will MAAT show such diverse subjects as art, architecture and technology?
These areas can be combined easily – many contemporary artists have been reflecting their inter-relation for a while. Think about the influence that urban issues have on architecture, or the way technology is changing our lives.
It’s an interdisciplinary museum so how will visitors navigate the content?
There will be a certain blurring of boundaries, which is intended. We don’t want to put things in silos or attribute particular rooms to certain types of works. Visitors may wonder whether an object is a work of art or a piece of technology, but at MAAT we leave that open to interpretation.
How do the two MAAT buildings work together, with one being new and the other recently refurbished?
They have different characteristics. In the old power station we have refurbished 3,000 sq m, with one main gallery of 650 sq m for touring exhibitions. The redone space has sophisticated climate control technology.
We have also dedicated a section to the industrial heritage of the power station and kept all the old machinery inside. It’s flexible though, so can be used to show film and video, for example, the works that are part of Artists’ Film International (until 16 October).
In the new building, there isn’t one wall that’s straight. The first programme starts with a new commission from Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster. There are lots of striking spaces for artists and architects to come together and shed light on important issues of today.
Can art make a contribution to science?
There are many top-level scientists who come close to artistic thinking. At a certain level in the art and science fields, minds work similarly – they are keen to collaborate, observe and provoke.
Artists can stimulate science in the same way they do society, with critical reflection and different perspectives. It is up to museums to bring this to the public, as they are places of encounter and where ideas are transmitted to an audience. We want to encourage viewers to step out of a passive role and engage in discussion.
Sustainability springs to mind with a museum dedicated to science.
We have taken a careful view on that. The new building uses LED lighting and has been constructed out of locally sourced materials such as ceramics and limestone, which are traditional building components in Portugal. The building uses ceramics on its huge inverted exterior ceiling. The tiles reflect the water and light in a unique way, making the entrance spectacular.
Sustainability is also central to our exhibition programme. One of our first shows is titled Eco Visionaries, which will discuss how artists deal with the concepts of ecology and sustainability. We are also working on a large project with institutions around the world to highlight the importance of architecture and sustainability.
Is there an entrance fee?
Yes, we have decided to introduce a fee, but it is designed to be a membership scheme to enable local people to afford access throughout the year. We charge €20 a year for membership, which is equivalent to about €1 per exhibition over the year, and allows entrance for two people together. We didn’t want to charge the kind of prices we see elsewhere in Europe because it would mean the Portuguese public would not be able to afford to come. And the difference between a single ticket – €9 for an adult – and yearly membership isn’t that much so it provides an incentive for visitors to become members.
Oliver Krug is a freelance journalist.
www.maat.pt
Main funder EDP Architect Amanda Levete of AL_A
Main contractor Alves Ribeiro
Admission €9 for adults; €20 a year for membership
The buildings sit on the bank of the Tagus river, which runs through central Lisbon. In fact, the new exhibition space, designed by AL_A founder Amanda Levete, is placed so that water laps onto its steps. This space will open with The World of Charles and Ray Eames, an exhibition that has travelled from the Barbican in London.
It’s a refurbished power station reviving the river front – is MAAT Portugal’s version of Tate Modern?
Pedro Gadanho: Tate has certainly been an inspiration, but we are more experimental and work with the local scene, providing crucial support for local artists and curators. It is important to us to combine the local art scene with the international one, rather than being a purely global player. We want to learn from the way Tate, and New York’s Museum of Modern Art, cater for international audiences, but our goal is to become part of a global dialogue about art that is relevant to our society, rather than getting high visitor figures.
How will MAAT show such diverse subjects as art, architecture and technology?
These areas can be combined easily – many contemporary artists have been reflecting their inter-relation for a while. Think about the influence that urban issues have on architecture, or the way technology is changing our lives.
It’s an interdisciplinary museum so how will visitors navigate the content?
There will be a certain blurring of boundaries, which is intended. We don’t want to put things in silos or attribute particular rooms to certain types of works. Visitors may wonder whether an object is a work of art or a piece of technology, but at MAAT we leave that open to interpretation.
How do the two MAAT buildings work together, with one being new and the other recently refurbished?
They have different characteristics. In the old power station we have refurbished 3,000 sq m, with one main gallery of 650 sq m for touring exhibitions. The redone space has sophisticated climate control technology.
We have also dedicated a section to the industrial heritage of the power station and kept all the old machinery inside. It’s flexible though, so can be used to show film and video, for example, the works that are part of Artists’ Film International (until 16 October).
In the new building, there isn’t one wall that’s straight. The first programme starts with a new commission from Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster. There are lots of striking spaces for artists and architects to come together and shed light on important issues of today.
Can art make a contribution to science?
There are many top-level scientists who come close to artistic thinking. At a certain level in the art and science fields, minds work similarly – they are keen to collaborate, observe and provoke.
Artists can stimulate science in the same way they do society, with critical reflection and different perspectives. It is up to museums to bring this to the public, as they are places of encounter and where ideas are transmitted to an audience. We want to encourage viewers to step out of a passive role and engage in discussion.
Sustainability springs to mind with a museum dedicated to science.
We have taken a careful view on that. The new building uses LED lighting and has been constructed out of locally sourced materials such as ceramics and limestone, which are traditional building components in Portugal. The building uses ceramics on its huge inverted exterior ceiling. The tiles reflect the water and light in a unique way, making the entrance spectacular.
Sustainability is also central to our exhibition programme. One of our first shows is titled Eco Visionaries, which will discuss how artists deal with the concepts of ecology and sustainability. We are also working on a large project with institutions around the world to highlight the importance of architecture and sustainability.
Is there an entrance fee?
Yes, we have decided to introduce a fee, but it is designed to be a membership scheme to enable local people to afford access throughout the year. We charge €20 a year for membership, which is equivalent to about €1 per exhibition over the year, and allows entrance for two people together. We didn’t want to charge the kind of prices we see elsewhere in Europe because it would mean the Portuguese public would not be able to afford to come. And the difference between a single ticket – €9 for an adult – and yearly membership isn’t that much so it provides an incentive for visitors to become members.
Oliver Krug is a freelance journalist.
www.maat.pt
Project data
Cost Power station refurbishment €1m; new building €20mMain funder EDP Architect Amanda Levete of AL_A
Main contractor Alves Ribeiro
Admission €9 for adults; €20 a year for membership