The Carlos Machado Museum is pleased to announce the opening of the temporary exhibition “Laudalino da Ponte Pacheco, the Photographer Who Was There” on July 12th at 6:00 PM at the Sacred Art Center. This exhibition showcases the work of Laudalino da Ponte Pacheco (1921-1997), featuring photographs taken during the 1960s and 70s. These images capture life in Maia, where he grew up and lived, as well as Porto Formoso, Lomba da Maia, São Miguel Island, and Canada, where he visited emigrated relatives and friends.

Laudalino da Ponte Pacheco was a man of many talents, both entrepreneurial and imaginative. He worked at the Maia Tobacco Factory, and in 1954, after receiving a camera from Canada, discovered his true passion for photography. From that moment, he began documenting events in Maia, Terceira, and Canada. His photographs encompass festivals, baptisms, funerals, weddings, processions, and other significant moments of community life. Laudalino left behind a unique collection of more than 155,000 images, noted for their aesthetic composition and mastery of light, offering the unique perspective of an insider within the community he photographed.

Curated by Blanca Martín Calero and Maria Emanuel Albergaria, with text contributions by Luísa Cardoso, and graphic and exhibition design by José Albergaria and Júlia Garcia, the exhibition has also benefited from the collaboration of Ana Pacheco and the family of Laudalino da Ponte Pacheco. Laudalino’s photographs are displayed alongside pieces from the museum’s Regional Ethnography collection, personal objects of the photographer, and artifacts from the Maia Tobacco Museum. The exhibition also features audio interviews and projection of images from the photographic archive, preserved by the Santa Casa da Misericórdia do Divino Espírito Santo da Maia, deposited by the family.

The exhibition will be open to the public from July 12th to November 10th, 2024. It will include activities organized in collaboration with the Carlos Machado Museum’s Mediation and Interpretation Services and other partners, including an artist residency at the Archipelago – Contemporary Arts Center.

The goal of the exhibition is to celebrate the work of this remarkable photographer and to invite visitors to share experiences from a past era that continues to resonate today. Laudalino’s archive is crucial in creating narratives about the anthropological, sociological, and historical aspects of São Miguel Island. By sharing Laudalino da Ponte Pacheco’s life story, the exhibition highlights the importance of entrepreneurship, creativity, cooperation, and resilience in overcoming life’s challenges. It also underscores the role of modernization, technology, culture, and well-being in promoting transformation, development, social mobility, and democracy.

Supported by:

- Directorate-General for the Arts

- Ribeira Grande City Council

- Holy House of Mercy of the Divine Holy Ghost in Maia

- Archipelago – Contemporary Arts Center