UMBIGO
Launched in 2002, with a regular, uninterrupted circulation ever since, Umbigo Magazine has established itself as one of the most vital mediums for the promotion and creation of visual arts in Portugal.
Currently, each issue of the magazine addresses a pressing contemporary theme, in an effort to foreground and foster knowledge through art, in a relevantly curated and collectable physical form. The magazine includes articles, artist profiles, written and visual essays, a dedicated exhibition, commissioned art projects and sections which include institutional affiliations, the work of artists and exhibition coverage.
Each edition has two covers and a back cover designed by artists who stand out on the national and international scene.
With a circulation of 5000 copies, Umbigo Magazine has more than 700 points-of-sale in Portugal, as well as in specialised locations such as museums and art stores. Internationally, the magazine is distributed in Europe, the United States, Australia, and is available in our online store.
Based on a networking model made up of artists, curators, consultants, art spaces and followers, UmbigoLAB is a digital platform designed by UMBIGO and supported by the Millennium BCP Foundation. As the name suggests, it is a laboratory for artistic experimentation. The objective is to elevate the curatorial discourse as we today know it, whilst also being a space to show work in digital form while reflecting on contemporary issues and the modern age.
UmbigoLAB is available to anyone who wishes to be part of it: after registering, members are able to interact with other users and add content to their feed. However, only invited artists and curators can publish projects and create exhibitions, as it is a platform aimed at the research and exploration of artistic production.
Launched in June 2002, the magazine firstly explored the theme of the body as a means of artistic expression. Over time, it has gone through a number of changes, broadening its scope and becoming more wide-ranging. To the present day, Umbigo Magazine has made an indelible mark on the Portuguese media publishing scene as a definitive art, fashion and culture statement, a cult collector's item from issue number one, hearted by a growing legion of readers.
During its many years of activity, UMBIGO has also made notable inroads in curating contemporary art projects, with regular exhibitions in galleries and unconventional spaces, such as Fábulas Gallery in Chiado, Lisbon, Plataforma Revólver where we curated the group show Pieces and Parts, and the organization of the Contemporary Jewellery Exhibition On the Other Hand, commemorating the 5th anniversary of PIN (Portuguese Association of Contemporary Jewellery), at Reverso Gallery, Lisbon.
In 2002 UMBIGO was also present at the Triennale di Milano of Architecture and Design waving the publishing flag for Portugal and were responsible for the launch of the book Coordinates of the Body in Contemporary Art, written by art historian Bárbara Coutinho, with a preface by Eduardo Prado Coelho. A series of national artists such as Julião Sarmento, José de Guimarães and João Vilhena among others, along with international names including Annie Sprinkle, Lenka Klodová and Robert Flynt were invited to show unpublished work inspired by the theme of the body. In May 2014, Umbigo Magazine (online edition) won the Bronze Medal at the Festival do Clube de Criativos de Portugal [Portuguese Creative Club Festival].
