EXHIBITION 1 - INSIGHTS

EXHIBITION 1

 

ABOUT THE PROJECT

 

The project “22 photos, 22 photographers” was created by the photographer Júlio Aires in 2024, in the city of Porto. Aires then invited 21 national and international photographers, whose work he followed on social media, to join him in a collective exhibition, aiming to fill the gap he felt regarding the presentation of independent photography in a more accessible format for everyone who enjoys this art.

The initiative, enthusiastically embraced by the artists, was later repeated with the organization of two more exhibitions in the city of Porto and one in Lisbon.
The name "22" was adopted for the first exhibition when Júlio realized that the available wall space could only accommodate 22 photographs, one for each of his participants, and it was then humorously adopted as the brand for these events.

The exhibitions do not impose a mandatory theme on the photographers, allowing each one to freely choose the photo that best represents them. The goal is to bring together amateur and professional photographers in an informal space, promoting relationships that go beyond virtual connections, fostering closeness and the sharing of ideas. It is also hoped that these encounters will contribute to the dissemination of photographic culture in Portugal and raise awareness among the general public about its importance throughout history.

The exhibition model is designed to be simple and easy to set up in different spaces, considering environmental issues by attempting, whenever possible, to reuse the displayed works and their respective supports.

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ALEXANDRE COELHO LIMA

Alexandre Coelho Lima, architect, was born in Porto in 1965 and lives in Guimarães. In 1995 he joined the company Pitagoras Group, where he currently works. He discovered photography by registering on Instagram in 2012, where he began sharing his photos regularly, being featured on several platforms. In 2018, Gerador elected him “Best Instagramer of 2017 in Portugal”. He has participated in several group exhibitions and had a solo show in 2018 at Pequena Galeria, in Lisbon.

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ANA LOIRA

 

Born in Minho and living in Porto for two decades. With a degree in Communication and a professional career in marketing and advertising agencies, specializing in photography was a natural path over the years - the camera accompanies me at work, and especially in my free days, where, without a destination or a clock, I look for moments of connection with what is strange/unknown to me.

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ANA SOUSA

 

I began exploring analogue photography as a self-taught practice in December 2019, after acquiring my first camera – an Olympus OM1. Since then, I’ve been experimenting with various formats and approaches, gradually building a collection of cameras that range from medium format to handmade pinhole boxes I construct myself.

I’m deeply interested in the entire photographic process, from the moment of capturing the image to the final darkroom print. I also devote myself to alternative techniques such as pinhole photography and cyanotype printing.

I photograph driven by curiosity and a need to express something personal. My intention is never to reproduce reality, but rather to interpret it through what I observe and feel. My fascination with time – both contemplative and restless – has always been the foundation of my photographic practice, which naturally finds its space within the surrealist sphere.

Among my main sources of inspiration are photographers such as Eugène Atget, André Kertész, Bernd and Hilla Becher, Karl Blossfeldt, and Fernando Lemos. In literature, I’m influenced by authors like Italo Calvino, Haruki Murakami, Milan Kundera, Michel Houellebecq and Philip K. Dick.

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ANTÓNIO CARDOSO

Hello. I'm António but everyone calls me Xico. I'm a colorblind coffee machine technician from Valongo and this is my hobby. It started when my girlfriend needed a small repair on her analog camera, and everything that's repaired has to be tested, right? I've been testing ever since. I mostly shoot analog, I feel like I'm still trying to find my style but the best of my work is in black and white. I hope that one day it will be more than just a hobby, for the sake of my back.

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