PLATFORM

RATO AO SOL is a Luso-Spanish platform for the emerging arts, founded by curators Francisca Portugal and Victoria Álvarez in 2022.

Having met in Lisbon in 2021, the pair’s objective is to foster an international, friendship-based network between Spain, Portugal and beyond. Through intimate interviews and collaborations, RATO AO SOL provides a space where artists and curators can speak extensively about their practices.

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Sections

5 MINUTE RETROSPECTIVE
Long-format interviews where artists reflect on their entire practice & bio.

I NEED MORE INFO ON THAT
Short, focused interviews centered on a specific artwork.

BEHIND THE STAGE
Conversations with curators about their backstage experiences.

DO IT YOURSELF
Self-portraits by artists, accompanied by a short analytical text written by us.

OUT OF OFFICE
Travel logs, studio visits, and diary-style notes from the art world.

STUDIO

RATO AO SOL also operates as a consultancy studio focused on the emerging arts sector. Its goal is to assist artists and art-related professionals with creative, strategic and administrative processes.

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Services

CURATION
Development of exhibition proposals
Exhibition set-up
Event management for openings
Funding advice

PRODUCTION
Press & Communications Materials
Exhibition Article Writing
Exhibition Catalogue Writing
Press Release Writing

ARTIST COUNSELING
Portfolio, Artist Statement & CV review
Social media review
Application review (residencies, universities, scholarships)
Advisory sessions (goal setting & roadmapping)

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CONTACT EMAIL
rato@ratoaosol.com

HIGHLY CONFUSING TIMES

On view 18.04.24 – 24.05.24
Arbag, Lisbon, Portugal.

This collective exhibition explores our current reality through the lenses of irony, delightful madness, and random association. Additionally, we’ll be celebrating ARBAG’s first birthday.

Featuring:
AnaMary Bilbao
Catarina Real
Daniela Ângelo
Gabriel Siams
Inês Brites
João Motta Guedes
Maria Appleton
Maria Máximo
Pedro Moreira

With written contributions by:
Hugo Cubo
Juaki Pesudo

WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND

On view 20.04.23 – 08.05.23
Arbag, Lisbon, Portugal.

WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND is a collective exhibition focused on contemporary forms of repetition. The circle is the emblematic element that constitutes the identity of ARBAG. For the space’s opening event, we want to rethink the circle and its meaning, inviting ten emerging artists to reinvent and question it as a symbol of everyday life activities, in the form of criticism or praise.

Featuring:
André Santos Martins
Bárbara Bulhão
Eva Gaspar
Francisca Aires Mateus
Gonçalo Preto
India Mello
Lulú
Mónica Coelh
Pedro Barassi
Primeira Desordem