Museu de Arte Contemporânea de Elvas

Museu de Arte Contemporânea de Elvas (MACE) is a contemporary art museum in Elvas, a city in Portugal's Alentejo region close to the Spanish border. It opened in June 2007 and quickly became one of the key cultural stops in a city inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. If you come to Elvas for the fortifications and the aqueduct, it is worth setting aside an hour or two for modern Portuguese art as well.

What can you see at MACE?

The museum presents the Colecção António Cachola, a private collection placed on deposit with a municipal institution. The collection is devoted exclusively to Portuguese artistic production. It holds more than six hundred works, ranging from the 1980s to the present day. You will find drawing, printmaking, painting, sculpture, installation, video and photography.

The collection was assembled with close attention to what Portuguese artists were making in the 1990s, and with the conviction that contemporary art helps shape national identity. A visit therefore works as a survey of how artists in Portugal have responded to changes at home and abroad over recent decades.

What building houses the museum?

MACE occupies the former Santa Casa da Misericórdia of Elvas, a charitable institution founded in the early sixteenth century, between 1501 and 1540. Pairing a historic interior with contemporary work is part of the appeal: old architecture becomes the backdrop for installations, video and large canvases.

Why visit?

• You can get to know Portuguese contemporary art in one place, without travelling to Lisbon or Porto.
• The museum is compact and makes a good break from sightseeing in the historic centre.
• Displays are refreshed, so a return visit may show a different selection from the collection.

Planning your visit

MACE sits in the historic centre of Elvas, so it is easy to combine with a walk through the old town, Praça da República and the forts. Opening hours and ticket prices can change, so check current details with the city or the museum before you go. Many exhibition texts are in Portuguese, and some materials may be available in other languages, but be prepared for parts to be untranslated.

Frequently asked questions

When did MACE open? The museum opened to the public in June 2007.

Whose collection is displayed? The works come from the Colecção António Cachola, held on deposit by the municipal museum.

What kind of art will I see? Only Portuguese visual art, from the 1980s to today: drawing, printmaking, painting, sculpture, installation, video and photography.

How large is the collection? More than six hundred pieces in the permanent holdings.

What building is the museum in? The former Santa Casa da Misericórdia, founded in the first half of the sixteenth century.

Is it a good choice if I do not know contemporary art? Yes. The collection is varied in media and themes, and its modest scale lets you see everything without rushing or fatigue.

Elvas is best known for its star-shaped bastioned walls, but MACE shows that the city has a modern side too. It is a worthwhile addition to an Alentejo itinerary, especially if you are travelling between Lisbon and Spain and want to see more than monuments from earlier centuries.