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José de Guimarães inaugurated the Cultural Program at the Livraria Lello Auditorium

The event also marked the start of the program at the new Livraria Lello Auditorium

On September 16, Livraria Lello welcomed artist José de Guimarães for a special conversation as part of the “Em Nome Próprio” series. The event also marked the start of the programming for Livraria Lello’s new auditorium and brought together Isabel de Almeida, José Augusto Cardoso Bernardes, and publisher João Pinto de Sousa for a session dedicated to art, literature, and different ways of viewing the world.

 

“In life, who are you?”

The session began with remarks by Aurora Pedro Pinto, who introduced the event and set the tone for a discussion centered on “Camões’s greatest art” and José de Guimarães’s unique perspective on one of the great works of Portuguese literature.

Professor Isabel de Almeida contributed to the discussion with a reflection on the value of a question and on what might be considered one of the magical questions in “Os Lusíadas”: “In life, who are you?”, which appears in the Adamastor episode. This is a question that spans centuries and, at this gathering, also served as a starting point for reflecting on identity, creation, and an artist’s perspective on a universal work.

“The issue of symbolism that arises in these editions stems from an encounter—my encounter—with another culture, African culture, which had its own specific modes of communication.”

It was precisely this perspective that José de Guimarães explored when presenting his work for the “Great Annotated and Illustrated Edition of “Os Lusíadas”,” published by Editora A Bela e o Monstro. Throughout the conversation, the artist spoke about the importance of symbolism in his work, highlighting the influence of his encounter with other cultures, particularly African culture: “The issue of symbolism that arises in these editions stems from an encounter—my encounter—with another culture, African culture, which had its own specific modes of communication.”

The personal dimension of the encounter was also conveyed through music. José de Guimarães chose “Strange Fruit” by Nina Simone, performed live by the artist Romain Valentino. This musical moment reinforced the idea of a personal signature that runs through this column and established a connection between the song chosen by the artist and the references that accompanied his work.

“As I contemplated Camões’ epic, I recalled that José de Guimarães is a soul shaped by Africa, and I also recalled that no happiness is possible without an awareness of the tragedy that makes it possible.”

Among those present was also the writer Valter Hugo Mãe, who later wrote in the *Jornal de Notícias*: “In connection with a special edition that *A Bela e o Monstro* is publishing of Camões’s epic, Guimarães spoke about a series of photographs and struck me as possessing a calm shyness that is typically characteristic of great conversationalists. (…) Faced with Camões’ epic, I recalled that José de Guimarães is a soul marked by Africa, and I also recalled that no happiness is possible without an awareness of the tragedy that tolerates it.”

The event also featured the participation of SOGRAPE and Leitaria da Quinta do Paço, which partnered for this special occasion.

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