Vexation of Spirit
The Duerckheim Collection X Serralves
Assembled over four decades by the collector Christian Duerckheim, this collection brings together works by some of the most important artists of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, including Georg Baselitz, Anselm Kiefer, Damien Hirst, Hermann Nitsch and others. Widely regarded as one of the most important private collections in Europe, it reflects an artistic vision shaped by moral concern and historical awareness.
Integrated into the Serralves Collection through a long-term deposit formalized in 2024, the Duerckheim Collection offers a profound insight into recent human history and into the role of the artist when confronted with the disasters of war and ethical responsibility in the face of evil. The works brought together constitute an exercise in memory and reflection on the impact of totalitarian regimes, international and civil wars, and the traumas of genocide.
Bringing together a group of essential artists, this exhibition invites the public to reflect on how contemporary art translates the upheavals of history and the urgency of the present. At a time of renewed conflicts and the resurgence of authoritarian politics, the exhibition asks whether a painting, a sculpture, or a film—by giving form to what words cannot express—can help prevent history from repeating itself. The exhibition reaffirms Serralves’ role as a guardian and interpreter of artistic heritage of international relevance.
“Vexation of Spirit. The Duerckheim Collection x Serralves”
Museu de Serralves, Rua D. João de Castro 210, 4150-417 Porto, Portugal
15 May until November 2026
Fundaçao Serralves
The creation of the Serralves Foundation in 1989, as a private institution of public utility, marked the beginning of an innovative partnership between the State and civil society. Serralves aims to be recognized nationally and internationally as a center of excellence in the field of contemporary art.
The iconic Serralves Villa is a unique example of Art Deco architecture. Some of the most important European furniture designers contributed to its interior, such as Émile Jacques Ruhlmann, René Lalique, and Edgar Brandt.
The Museum of Contemporary Art, a project by the globally renowned architect Álvaro Siza – Pritzker Prize 1992, presents exhibitions by leading Portuguese and foreign artists, among many other activities. In the new wing (opened in 2024) exhibitions dedicated to the Serralves Collection and Architecture are presented.
The 18-hectare Serralves Park, designed by Jacques Gréber, and which was awarded the “Henry Ford Prize for the Preservation of the Environment” in 1997, is a unique reference in Portugal’s landscape heritage. It harbors a wide diversity of spaces, including formal gardens, woodlands, a traditional farm, and a Treetop Walk—an elevated route next to the treetops, which allows for an impactful experience of observation and study of the Park’s Biodiversity.