Housing (Non) Humans at Galeria Filomena Soares

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DATE

29 Jun 2026

AUTHOR

João Pedro Soares

Housing (Non) Humans at Galeria Filomena Soares

AUTHOR

João Pedro Soares

Currently on display at Galeria Filomena Soares is the exhibition Housing (Non) Humans at Galeria Filomena Soares, curated by Marta Jecu. This exhibition features seven international artists and architects exploring the dynamics of construction not only as edifying and functional elements, but also as material of cultural, environmental, and social significance. As the curator indicates: "Human beings, built structures, and natural materials are understood as interconnected in a natural flow."

Thus, twenty-three works are presented, distributed throughout the gallery rooms, ranging from photography and video installation to architectural prototypes, precisely to demonstrate these dynamics of interconnection. Although from a curatorial point of view there is a forced search for a connection between the works and ecological issues – perhaps due to the great heterogeneity in the practices and objects on display, translated into a lack of harmony in the room's composition – there is still quality in the individual proposals of each artist, whose highlights are listed below.

Let's begin with the photographic or video contributions. Allan Sekula, an artist who has explored maritime economies and migrant labor relations with architecture and industry, presents here some works that challenge working conditions in Ensenada, Mexico, through, for example, the large-format photograph Ensenada Shipyard Welder (1996-1997), which candidly captures a welder working in this maritime dock. Next is Pedro Vaz, with the video Laje Branca (2015), which, in a kind of optical illusion and visual juxtaposition, conveys opposing perspectives on an island. This work falls within Pedro Vaz's artistic explorations, particularly around the tension between nature and representation. Also included is the series of photographs by the group Os Espacialistas, especially O Cortiço (2024) or Os Espacialistas em Monsanto (2021), photos that excel in how bodies merge with the landscape, aligning with an exploration of the human as a natural continuum.

Then, from a materialist perspective, we have the contribution of Didier Faustino, who offers an innovative viewpoint on the relationship between the human and the more-than-human with Canary in a Coal Mine (2026), where we observe a cage made by the artist (which also functions as a helmet), where a stuffed canary is placed. An original figuration, exploring the Minas Gerais vernacular that a bird taken to the mine would warn of any dangers of carbon monoxide. In turn, Paulo Moreira raises the question of danger in another dimension when considering the recovery of raw materials for the construction of shelters in Johannesburg. Safety Shelters (2026) is part of one of these shelters that allows us to extrapolate relationships of collaboration and care in the face of the prevailing social instability. This is complemented from a distance by the work of Dan Graham, which consists of a glass and aluminum structure entitled Model B (2021), a work that analyzes suburban architecture and some ideas of surveillance.

Finally, within a dynamic installation in the gallery space, we see the partnership of Francisco Fonseca and Matilde Cabral (Pedrêz) materialize in two fascinating large-scale objects: Gat Shmanim (2019), a sarcophagus with an interior lined with beeswax, and Polyptych (2012-2026), an architectural prototype that combines organic materials such as charcoal, hemp, algae, sheep's wool, or animal dung. If the first addresses a feeling of confinement and death, the second leads to futuristic and regenerative perspectives, subtly connecting the two pieces between dystopia and ecotopia.

Housing (Non) Humans at Galeria Filomena Soares is an exhibition relevant to those who wish to explore new material and architectural possibilities and engage in a broader dialogue with issues related to landscape, commodities, migration, and globalization. The exhibition is open until July 4, 2026.

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