Aleixo Memorabilia

23.09 - 16.12.2023

“Aleixo Memorabilia” shows fragments of everyday life, anonymous memories and traces of the construction and appropriation of the neighbourhood. Somo of these objects may have been purely random choices (things that former residents kindly picked out at home), but for the most part they symbolise and represent the honesty and pride that remains in the collective memory of Aleixo neighbourhood. This piece allows us to hear the silent voices affected by a complex event and defies the short-sightedness that usually characterises urban conflicts.

Originally created by Paulo Moreira for In Conflict, the Portuguese representation at the 17th International Architecture Exhibition, La Biennale di Venezia 2021, curated by depA architects, ‘Aleixo Memorabilia’ is now presented for the first time in Porto, at APSPBA - Associação de Promoção Social da População do Bairro do Aleixo.

Through a public programme of tours and debates, ‘Aleixo Memorabilia’ sparks discussion of the processes of urban and social disappearance that have been witnessed in the city of Porto in recent decades, speculating as to how the memories of these places might be preserved in future.

Photography: Gonçalo Gomes
Co-production: APSPBA - Associação de Promoção Social da População do Bairro do Aleixo and Institute of Sociology of Porto University
Support: DG Artes/Ministry of Culture and Criatório, Ágora – Cultura e Desporto, E.M.