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May I Help You? Posso ajudar?

The everyday question “May I help you?” was used by Andrea Fraser in a performance that addressed the complex institutional relationships within the art world. The same question may also be turned towards the museum itself: what kind of help is actually being offered, and what kind of connection can still be expected in an era of increasing fragmentation, dissonance and impermanence? The exhibition draws on five decades of artistic production, from the 1970s to today, and features works by ninety artists—including Ad Minoliti (in the museum’s main hall), Alberto Carneiro, Carla Filipe, Doris Salcedo, Helena Almeida, Gabriel Abrantes, Gilbert & George, Jeff Koons, Júlia Ventura, Kara Walker, and Richard Serra, among many others. The works are drawn from collections on long term loan to the MAC/CCB (the Berardo Collection, the State Contemporary Art Collection, and the Teixeira de Freitas Collection), and are complemented by new commissions from Portuguese artists. Curators Nuria Enguita and Marta Mestre Curatorial Adviser Raphael Fonseca (Denver Art Museum) The exhibition “MAY I HELP YOU? POSSO AJUDAR?” Arts and Artists from the 1970s Onwards, inspired by Andrea Fr