The Contra-Quiosque project of Braga 25 Portuguese Capital of Culture, curated by Space Transcribers, invited artists to occupy disused kiosks in Braga through research centred on collections and archives, whether personal or institutional. The aim was to uncover and discuss narratives left outside dominant discourses and representations, namely those of migrants, multicultural communities or LGBTQIA+ groups, as well as ecosystems. Throughout 2025, these kiosks, rehabilitated by architect António Pedro Faria, formed a kind of multi-centred museum spread across different areas of the city.
Marta Pinto Machado was one of the artists who developed and presented an artwork within the scope of this project, which also included works by artists Miguel Teodoro, Emília Rigová, Hilda de Paulo and Maria Trabulo. Ceci n’est pas Francisco originated from the discovery of a photograph of Francisco Mendonça — a Black footballer who lived in Braga during the 1960s — found in the Braga District Archive. The work proposed a speculative and poetic reconstruction of his passage through the city, confronting official narratives and exposing institutional silences surrounding racial and political issues.
This installation, currently on display at the National Museum of Contemporary Art – Chiado Museum, served as the basis for a new exhibition that the Braga-based artist will inaugurate on 22 May at the Cape Verde Cultural Centre in Lisbon.
The opening will take place at 7:00 pm and will be preceded by a conversation with artist Marta Pinto Machado and researcher Inês Vieira Gomes. The exhibition, curated by Filipa Oliveira and Ricardo Barbosa Vicente, will remain open until 27 June.