Starting September 26, the Monastery of Leça do Balio opens its doors to the exhibition People in Motion
The Livraria Lello Foundation, in partnership with the Dicastery for Culture and Education of the Holy See and the Vatican Museums, will inaugurate in September at the Monastery of Leça do Balio the exhibition “People in Motion”. The exhibition is a contemporary reflection on migration, belonging, and empathy, exploring what moves us as individuals and communities.
Sculpture, photography, literature, installation, video, and performance intertwine in this new exhibition cycle, which brings together a group of renowned national and international figures. Curated by Roberto Cremascoli, the exhibition features Álvaro Siza, Afonso Cruz, Dulce Maria Cardoso, Gonçalo M. Tavares, Isabel Lucas, José Luís Peixoto, Attilio Fiumarella, Inês d’Orey, Nuno Cera, Paulo Catrica, Rita Burmester, Mónica de Miranda, and Rita Nery.
The inspiration for this exhibition stems from Social Friendship, Meeting in the Garden, the official participation of the Holy See in the 18th International Architecture Exhibition – Venice Biennale 2023, commissioned by Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça (Prefect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education of the Holy See) and also curated by Roberto Cremascoli. That project challenged the public to think of gardens as places of encounter, dialogue, and diversity—a metaphor that now finds continuity in People in Motion.
At the Monastery of Leça do Balio, a national monument and historical landmark on the Camino de Santiago, the exhibition unfolds in three acts, each offering a distinct perspective on a world in movement: the movement of people, of seeds, and of ideas. As visitors walk through the monastery’s spaces—cloisters, Chapter House, and exhibition areas—they are invited to reflect on journeys, belonging, and encounters.
More than a collection of works, People in Motion is conceived as a collective experience. Sculpture and installation engage in dialogue with photography and video, while literature adds further layers of reflection and narrative. Each piece serves as a point of contact, evoking the need to listen, welcome, and act together.
The choice of the Monastery of Leça do Balio as the venue is particularly significant. Once the headquarters of the Knights Hospitaller in Portugal, the monastery was for centuries a place of refuge and passage for pilgrims. Today, this legacy of hospitality and encounter acquires new meaning as it opens its doors to an exhibition that places **migration—human, natural, and cultural—**at its core.
People in Motion is also part of a broader cultural programme developed by the Livraria Lello Foundation at the monastery, reinforcing its role as a meeting place between tradition and contemporaneity, heritage and innovation.
The exhibition will be open to the public from September 26, 2025, Wednesday to Sunday, from 10:00 am to 6:30 pm.