The Silence of Hephaestus

Arquipélago — Contemporary Arts Centre in Ribeira Grande presents The Silence of Hephaestus, an exhibition featuring works from the State Contemporary Art Collection. The opening takes place on 25 July at 5 pm, and the exhibition remains on view in exhibition rooms 1 and 2 until 1 November 2026.

The exhibition uses Hephaestus, a figure connected with fire, volcanoes and craft, as a starting point to consider the Azores as a territory shaped by natural forces. It links that image with experiences of disaster, displacement and memory across the archipelago.

The 1957 Capelinhos eruption on Faial is a central reference. It profoundly transformed the island and offers a way to reflect on how communities experience, record and pass on the memory of catastrophe. The exhibition also considers the lack of recorded sound and local voices in television footage made at the time.

Bringing together works made from 1957 to the present, the selection connects varied artistic approaches through questions of landscape, listening and the circumstances in which lived experience becomes publicly heard. The exhibition is curated by Vera Carmo.

The project forms part of the official programme of Ponta Delgada 2026 — Portuguese Capital of Culture. For residents and visitors, it offers a chance to encounter works from Portugal’s public collection through themes closely connected to the Azores’ environmental, social and cultural history.