Rui Soares Costa - Visual Artist

Rui Soares Costa (b. 1981) studied Painting at Ar.Co while training and researching in Social Psychology between Portugal and the US.

2013 marks the professional change from being an academic researcher in Social Cognition and Social Neuroscience to become a full time visual artist, with the first exhibition project dating back to 2016. Since 2020, Rui has become progressively comfortable with the idea of connecting his artistic research and practice with his environmental and sustainability thinking and activism. 2021 marks the beginning of the Rising series project, generally addressing the Anthropocene and one of the main issues of contemporaneity - the Climate Crisis - more specifically, the rising sea levels. During 2024 Rui started to work on video as a duo with André Gonçalves (RSC & AG).

Rui's research and artistic practice revolve around time. He is interested in the perception (not representation) of time by manipulating its suspension, distension and compression. Time as a pivotal construct, a variable that can be played with, like a parameter in an equation. Rui’s research and work are organized in series. Each series is an open ended route, not a specific project in time but an active line of work in constant dialogue with the other series. The concepts and principles around which Rui’s work gravitates deal with parsimony, minimalism, nothingness, seminality, nature and materiality. His work frequently takes place in co-creation with the surrounding context.

Rui works closely with contemporary music and his exhibitions projects always have original soundtracks. Rui has established a close collaboration with the musician and multimedia artist André Gonçalves.

In 2016 he started Bull’s Eye - Artist in Residence Program at his studio in Olho de Boi. More than sixty artists, most of them international, have participated so far.

Rui's work is part of collections in Germany, India, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland as well as Art Fairs collection (ES), Berardo collection (PT), Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal collection (PT), Fonseca Macedo collection, (PT), José Costa Rodrigues collection (PT), Manuel de Brito collection (PT), Mouro Producciones collection (ES) and Museo de Arte Moderno y Contemporáneo de Santander y Cantabria (MAS) collection (ES).

He is represented by Salgadeiras Contemporary Art in Lisbon, Portugal and Untagged Art, Seville, Spain.

Lives and works between Lisbon and Olho de Boi.

INDIVIDUAL EXHIBITIONS

2024 - untitled installation, Construction Festival Residency (Dnipro, Ukraine), Almada, PT

2023 - Stringing the disconnection, Salgadeiras Contemporary Art, Lisbon, PT

2023 - untitled anthropocene 0,3/1/1,5/2/2,5, Caminho Pedonal Alhandra, PT

2022 - Anthropocene & Great Acceleration, Capuchos Convent, Almada, PT

2022 - Air House: Three houses for mankind II (co-creation with Pedro Campos Costa and João Galante), Olho de Boi, Almada, PT

2021 - Rising, Salgadeiras Gallery, Lisbon, PT

2021 - Water House: Three houses for mankind I (co-creation with Pedro Campos Costa and João Galante), Antecâmara Gallery, Lisbon, PT

2019 - Não acontece este esqueleto dançar / (Un)dancing skeleton, sala 117 Gallery, Porto, PT

2019 - Estes pés só pisam vento / Walking the wind, Salgadeiras Gallery, Lisbon, PT

2018 - Honey Series, Geological Museum, Lisbon, PT

2017 - Lifeline Series, Salgadeiras Gallery, Lisbon, PT

2017 - Winter Series, Palácio da Quinta da Piedade, Póvoa de Santa Iria, PT

2016 - Sweet Series, National Museum of Natural History and Science, Lisbon, PT

COLLECTIVE EXHIBITIONS

2024 - Como os olhos da mosca reflectem os objectos, Palácio do Sobralinho, VFX, PT

2023 - Too Much of a Good Thing, XYZ Books 10 year anniversary exhibition, a ilha, Lisbon, PT (curated by Tiago Casanova and Elžbieta Upė Rozanovaitė)

2023 - O Tempo das Imagens IV - Edições recentes do Centro Português de Serigrafia, Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal, Lisbon, PT (curated by João Prates) (external link)

2020 - Pratos para que vos quero, Cooperativa Árvore, Porto, PT

2019 - Ater, Salgadeiras Gallery, Lisbon, PT

2018 - Quando o tacto se faz contacto, sala 117 Gallery, Porto, PT (curated by Hugo Dinis)

2016 - Utopia Today, Abílio Museum, Óbidos, PT - FOLIO '16 (curated by Ana Matos)

ART FAIRS

2024 - DRAWING ROOM LISBOA, Sociedade Nacional de Belas Artes, Lisbon, PT (Air series with Salgadeiras Contemporary Art)

2024 - ARTESANTANDER, Santander Congress and Exhibition Hall, Santander, ES (Rising series & Lifeline series with Salgadeiras Contemporary Art)

2023 - DRAWING ROOM LISBOA, Sociedade Nacional de Belas Artes, Lisbon, PT (Japanese gardens (for Miyazaki) series with Salgadeiras Contemporary Art)

2022 - ARTESANTANDER, solo project, Santander Congress and Exhibition Hall, Bahia Room, Santander, ES (Paper series with Salgadeiras Gallery)

2021 - DRAWING ROOM LISBOA, Sociedade Nacional de Belas Artes, Lisbon, PT (Lifeline series & Rising series with Salgadeiras Gallery)

2021 - JUSTMAD, Neptune Palace, Madrid, ES (Paper series with Salgadeiras Gallery)

2020 - DRAWING ROOM LISBOA, Sociedade Nacional de Belas Artes, Lisbon, PT (Paper series with Salgadeiras Gallery)

2020 - JUSTMAD, Neptune Palace, Madrid, ES (Black mirror series with Salgadeiras Gallery)

2019 - JUSTMAD, Neptune Palace, Madrid, ES (Lifeline series with Salgadeiras Gallery)

OTHER PROJECTS

2024 - Bauhaus of the Sea Sails - Ocean Ambassador (external link)

2023 - Bauhaus of the Sea Sails - Sea Forum participant (external link)

2023 - Base Camp turns Ground Control, curatorial project Entropy and Transformation III for the exhibition Blueprints of Power by Tiago Casanova, espaço TAJ, Lisbon, PT (external link)

2023 - Laboratório de Coisas Inúteis, curatorial project with Alexandre Lyra Leite, Inestética, VFX, PT (external link)

2023 - Climbing down from the Death Zone, curatorial project Entropy and Transformation II for the exhibition Here, There, Everywhere by Simão Costa, espaço TAJ, Lisbon, PT (external link)

2022 - Above eight thousand meters, curatorial project Entropy and Transformation I for the exhibition ...neither ends nor begins by Rui Horta Pereira, espaço TAJ, Lisbon, PT (external link)

2022 - E-migrantes urbanos, LABEUR (Laboratorio Espacial Urbano), curated by Claudia Zavaleta (with Cláudio Garrudo, Rui Horta Pereira e Rui Soares Costa), Azinhaga, PT (external link)

2021 - 3 etchings (ed. 35 each, signed and numbered), Centro Português de Serigrafia, Lisbon, PT (external link)

2020 - etching (ed. 50) for the 25th anniversary of the Ministry of Science and Technology, PT (external link)

2020 - drawings for the posters of the 25th anniversary of the Ministry of Science and Technology, PT

BOOKS

2021 - Rising

2017 - Olho de Boi

2016 - Sweet Series

TALKS & ROUNDTABLES

2024 - Part I: Tagus river - A more than human agent in contemporary art / Part II: Bloodbrothers - The search for the ultimate eco-conscious surfboard; Bauhaus of the Sea Sails (external link): Ocean Ambassadors Program - Focus on Portugal; Rui Soares Costa Studio, Online (pdf of presentation)

2024 - Time: Visual arts and the passage of time; Diploma 2025 Lisbon South Shore - Accademia di architettura de Mendrisio (external link); Rui Soares Costa Studio, Olho de Boi, PT (pdf of presentation)

2024 - Sustentabilidade e a rasteira da Arte Engagé; Rountable: Action for a green future at Imago Lisboa Photo Festival 2024 (external link); Centro de Interpretação de Monsanto, Lisbon, PT (pdf of presentation)

2024 - ArteSantander Talks: Curator Carlos Pinto + Artist Rui Soares Costa; ArteSantander 2024 (external link), Palacio de Exposiciones y Congresos de Santander, Santander, ES

2023 - Conversa sobre Arte Contemporânea e Sustentabilidade; Casa da Cerca, Almada, PT (pdf)

2021 - Estes pés só pisam vento: A representação do Tempo; NucleAR - Ciclo de conferências 5x5 2021 (external link) - A linha de água: limites da terra e da água; Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, PT (prezi presentation)

2021 - Citizen-centred , Research-driven Creative industries for Europe: launching the Lisbon manifesto (external link); Roundtable co-organized by Portuguese Presidency of the European Union Council, with the European Parliament and the European Commission; Pavilhão do Conhecimento Ciência Viva, Lisbon, PT (Youtube video)

COLLECTIONS

Art Fairs collection (ES)

Berardo collection (PT)

Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal collection (PT)

Fonseca Macedo collection (PT)

José Costa Rodrigues collection (PT)

Manuel de Brito collection (PT)

Mouro Producciones collection (ES)

Museo de Arte Moderno y Contemporáneo de Santander y Cantabria (MAS) (ES)

EDUCATION

2012 - Post-Doc, Social Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, University of Lisbon / Princeton University, NJ

2009 - PhD, Social Psychology, ISCTE, Lisbon / University of California, Davis

2005 - B.A., Psychology, ISPA, Lisbon

2003 - Painting, Ar.Co, Lisbon

GRANTS AND AWARDS

2024 - Museo de Arte Moderno y Contemporáneo de Santander y Cantabria (MAS), Acquisition award at ArteSantander, Santander, Spain

2024 - Acquisition award at ArteSantander: Colección de Mouro Producciones, Santander, Spain

2024 - Artist in residence at the Construction Festival (organized by Kultura Medialna, Dnipro, Ukraine and supported by SHAPE+ platform, EU)

2021 - Three houses for mankind, with Antecâmara Gallery, Garantir Cultura Program - Fundo de Fomento Cultural, Lisbon, PT

2020 - Artistic Residency at the Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur, India (supported by the Mehrangarh Museum Trust and the Embassy of Portugal in India)

2011/12 - Visiting Scholar, Alexander Todorov, Princeton University, US

2010 - INCORE travel grant, INCORE, UK

2010 - INCORE bursary, INCORE, UK

2009/2012 - Post-Doc Grant, Foundation for Science and Technology, Portugal

2008 - Travel Award, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Portugal

2005/2009 - PhD Grant, Foundation for Science and Technology, Portugal

PRESS

. Expresso - revista - 23/07/2021

. Egoísta - 01/09/2019

. Umbigo - 30/08/2019

. Le Monde Diplomatique - 01/08/2019

. Gerador - 12/07/2019

. Expresso - revista - 22/06/2019

. RTP 3 - As Horas Extraordinárias - 11/06/2019

. Jornal de Letras - 22/05/2019

. Cultura de Borla - 05/07/2018

. Expresso - revista - 04/11/2017

. SIC - cartaz - 22/09/2017

. Antena 3 - 20/09/2017

. TimeOut - 15/11/2017

. Sábado - Gps - 11/10/2017

. Óbidos TV - 2016

(Versão em Português)

Rui Soares Costa (1981) estudou pintura no Ar.Co, Lisboa, enquanto se formou, doutorou e fez investigação em Psicologia Social entre Portugal e os EUA.

Desde 2013 que se dedica por inteiro às artes visuais, tendo começado a expor em 2016. Em 2020 passa a aproximar a sua investigação e prática artística com o seu pensamento e ativismo político e ambiental. 2021 marca o início da série Rising, que aborda o Antropoceno e a Crise Climática enquanto questões centrais da contemporaneidade. Durante 2024, inicia o seu trabalho em video enquanto dupla com André Gonçalves (RSC & AG)..

A sua investigação e prática artística atual debruçam-se sobre o Tempo. Interessa-se pela percepção (não representação) do Tempo através da manipulação da sua suspensão, distensão e compressão. Tempo enquanto variável que se pode manipular, como um parâmetro de uma equação.

A sua investigação e trabalho organizam-se em séries. Cada série é um projeto em aberto, uma linha de trabalho ativo em constante diálogo com as restantes séries.

Os conceitos e princípios em torno dos quais o trabalho do Rui gravitam são a parcimónia, minimalismo, ausência, seminalidade, natureza e materialidade. O seu trabalho ocorre frequentemente em co-criação com o contexto envolvente.

Trabalha intimamente com música contemporânea, sendo os seus projetos acompanhados por bandas sonoras originais. Tem estabelecido uma colaboração estreita com o músico e artista multimédia André Gonçalves.

Desde 2016 que desenvolve no seu atelier o Bull’s Eye – Artist in Residence Program, por onde já passaram mais de 60 artistas, essencialmente internacionais.

Integra coleções na Alemanha, Espanha, Holanda, Índia, Portugal e Suíça, bem como a Colección Art Fairs (ES), Coleção Berardo (PT), Coleção da Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal (PT), Coleção Fonseca Macedo (PT), Coleção José Costa Rodrigues (PT), Coleção Manuel de Brito (PT), Colección Mouro Producciones (ES), Museo de Arte Moderno y Contemporáneo de Santander y Cantabria (MAS) (ES).

É representado por Salgadeiras Arte Contemporânea (Lisboa, PT) e Untagged Art (Seville, ES).

Vive e trabalha entre Lisboa e o Olho de Boi.