[Experiences of "Africas:" collections of African pieces by three contemporary Portuguese artists].

Abstract

Because of its colonial history, Portugal holds many collections of African objects from its former possessions. They were generally gathered by colonial administrators, the military, merchants, simple settlers or travelers, and today are maintained by their heirs, but are also found among other groups including intellectuals, specialists, entrepreneurs, gallery owners and artists. This study looks at collections of "African art" belonging to three contemporary artists with different aesthetic orientations (Cruzeiro Seixas, Eduardo Nery and José de Guimarães) and considers their experiences and representations of "Africa," how the collections came to be created, and the influence of these pieces on the personal career and work of each of these artists.