MONASTERY OF LEÇA DO BALIO ASTOUNDS WITH OVER 1,000 PHOTOGRAPHS IN ARTISTIC MANIFESTO AGAINST MISINFORMATION
The Livraria Lello Foundation launches the 2024 program at the Leça do Balio Monastery with the exhibition “Act The Thought,” which features over 1,000 large-scale photographs. The images will fill the entire surrounding area of the building, a national monument since 1910, to raise awareness of the dangers of Misinformation. The official opening ceremony is scheduled for June 21 at 5:00 PM, including the signing of a protocol with dozens of higher education institutions from the North.
The Livraria Lello Foundation (FLL) announces the official inauguration of the Monastery of Leça do Balio, the institution’s headquarters, on June 21 at 5:00 PM, in a ceremony that will be attended by the Secretary of State for Planning and Regional Development, Hélder Reis.
On this day, the FLL will present the 2024 program, dedicated to “Misinformation”, identified by the World Economic Forum as the main current threat.
To illustrate the theme's universal nature, the Foundation presents the exhibition “Act The Thought”, an impressive display representing a mosaic with over a thousand large-scale photographs. This exhibition engages the community through the largest participatory art project, Inside Out, by French artist JR, co-curated with the North America & Europe Chapter for UNESCO MIL Alliance – UNESCO Media and Information Literacy Alliance, and the Polígrafo newspaper.
“Act The Thought” aims to create a visual and emotional dialogue through the faces of anonymous figures, accompanied by biographies with photographs of influential personalities such as Salman Rushdie, Malala Yousafzai, Nelson Mandela, Toni Morrison, Mário Soares, and José Saramago, who have also been impacted by Misinformation.
Alongside the exhibition, there will be a sound installation by Diana Policarpo, proposing an immersive auditory experience. Inspired by traditional songs from northern Portugal, ALEA explores the deconstruction of words and melodies to create meanings and new senses.
The planned program is as follows:
5:00 PM: Reception by the artistic intervention in the surrounding area of the Leça do Balio Monastery
5:30 PM: Inauguration by Páginas Soltas of the exhibition “Act The Thought,” in the European Chapter of the UNESCO Media and Information Literacy Alliance 6:30 PM: Address by Pedro Pinto, President of the Board of Trustees of the Livraria Lello Foundation
6:40 PM: Formalization of the Media and Information Literacy Alliance – signing of a protocol between the Livraria Lello Foundation and higher education institutions in the Northern region
6:50 PM: Address by the Secretary of State for Planning and Regional Development, Hélder Reis
7:15 PM: Cocktail and presentation of Hugo van der Ding’s book, “Os Vestidos Amarelos e a Desinformação,” by Salomé Leal, journalist from the Polígrafo newspaper
About the protocol with universities
The goal is to develop projects and initiatives, such as incorporating the topic of misinformation into curricular subjects; holding events – workshops and seminars – that promote the exchange of knowledge and strategies on how to manage the topic of misinformation; encouraging research projects between the FLL and universities and developing awareness and education programs, particularly during the World Media and Information Literacy Week, which takes place from October 24 to 31, using the Leça do Balio Monastery as the center of this action.
After the official ceremony, the Monastery of Leça do Balio opens to the public on June 22. Visits are free but require prior registration on the Livraria Lello website here.
Álvaro Siza's Open Sculpture can also be visited for a fee. Ticket prices range from 4 euros for students or seniors (65+) to 8 euros for adults. Children up to 12 years old are free. The family ticket costs 20 euros and includes two adults and up to three children/students.
The Monastery of Leça do Balio and the Open Sculpture can be visited every day between 10 AM and 6 PM, except on June 24.
We invite the media to be present.
Location: Monastery of Leça do Balio
Date: June 21, starting at 5:00 PM