On 10 March, Portuguese art historian Dalila Rodrigues took part in the Foros series 2021 with an online lecture entitled “Ex situ: exhibiting art and architecture”. She looked back over her long career directing museums and art centres in Portugal and defended the need to establish a committed dialogue between art historians and architects, which guarantees the deserved exhibition of works of art and ex situ pieces in particular, i.e., pieces that have been taken from their original visual and meaningful context. 

Dalila Rodrigues currently works as the director of the Jerónimos Monastery in Lisbon and has extensive experience at the helm of several other museums and art centres in Portugal. She has also held other positions including director of the Grão Vasco Museum, the National Museum of Ancient Art and the Paula Rego House of Stories. 

“Museology is a space where various disciplines that contribute to establishing good conservation practices converge. It does not replace the committed dialogue between art historians and architects. Contemporary galleries and museums define visual codes for art exhibitions and, therefore, it is essential to articulate a well-defined programme for any museum project”, she said.  

Under the title “Expectations”, Foros 2021 opens the floor to discussions on reconstruction projects that have emerged as a result of the COVID-19 crisis, across all areas of society, with a particular focus on architecture and urban planning.