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Established in 2010 and consolidated in its present form in 2013, Underdogs works with a diversified roster of Portuguese and international artists connected with the urban inspired contemporary art universe, fostering the development of close relationships between creators, the public, and the city with the aim of promoting art as an everyday experience.
It is around the table that first encounters take place. It is there, sitting face to face, that romances begin and marriage proposals are made. It is also where relationships are discussed in not-so-savoury conversations. It is around the table that hands are shaken and agreements are made, always with the clinking of glasses in a toast. But it is also where hearty goodbyes are said. It is during long meals, full of place settings, that the most substantial family episodes take place. It is where you find the space to say the hardest things, or where you have to swallow, and not voice, what you have to say.
It is impossible to measure the events surrounding the daily meals and feasts in this former refectory, located in a monument whose origins date back 900 years. Decades and centuries have passed and, with them, stories about food, the values of diets and nutrition, the importance of cooking, the pomp of recipes and the usefulness of ingredients have changed. It is also around the table that the societal, political, cultural, health, economic and sustainable dimensions of human history can be investigated.
Eleven artists have been invited to bring to this table works centred around food, meals and the refectory. In this shared meal, they feed us with a variety of ideas that correspond to the concepts most present in their works. From food as an ancestral ritual to the impacts of the supply chain and hunger crises; from still lifes in classical paintings to the distractions caused by technology when eating; from the sacred and ancestral dimensions of ingredients to fast food delivered to your door.
We invite you to enjoy every layer of flavour in this sumptuous meal. Bon appétit!
Photography: Câmara Municipal de Coimbra / Tiago Costa
Photography: Câmara Municipal de Coimbra / Tiago Costa
