ZDB

Mission

Created in 1994 as a nonprofit organization by a civic initiative, Galeria Zé dos Bois (ZDB) is an art center based in a 2.500m² palace in the heart of Bairro Alto, Lisbon. A creation, production and promotion structure for contemporary art, ZDB instigates the research and investigation of artists involved with visual and performing arts, as well as film and music. The center produces and presents exhibitions, and hosts more than 150 arts events per year, including residencies, educational programs, theater, dance performances, lectures, and music concerts. Driven by the desire to intensify and exchange knowledge with artists through creative practices, ZDB promotes international and local residencies and establishes long-term relationships with artists, aiming to produce unique projects.

Activities

Visual Arts
ZDB stimulates the artistic research and creation by providing means of production and visibility to national and international artists. All ZDB’s exhibitions are accompanied by actions of the Educational Department such as cinema cycles, debates, guided tours and workshops.

Negócio – Performative Arts
ZDB develops and hosts more than 30 artistic residencies and/or plays per year. Focusing on co-productions and on-site creation, our team assists all the creation process, supporting design, production, communication, presentation and promoting its circulation. In addition to supporting independent creators, ZDB has been welcoming and developing synergies with a significant number of associated structures.

ZDBmüzique – Music
ZDBmüzique seeks to give space to creative manifestations in music and it aims to promote transgressive and exploratory music acts, with different techniques and languages: improvised music, electroacoustic, jazz, modern pop, rock and noise. ZDBmüzique also promotes the creation (with artistic residencies) and circulation of music through partnerships with other institutions such as: Casa da Música, Serralves, Teatro Maria Matos, Teatro Aveirense, Centro Cultural Vila Flor, Gnration, Teatro Municipal da Guarda amongst others.

Department of Education
ZDB’s department of education was born in 2005. It aims to stimulate the reflection on the field of artistic production in a constructive and participative way. The department of education conducts regular guided tours to exhibitions, settled by appointment; it also carries out programs in the scope of public education and provides access to a specific program of performing arts.

History

ZDB started in 1994 as a non-profit association. Its purpose, was to “promote exhibitions, installations, video shows, performances, musical performances and other activities” in the artistic field. The primordial aim of ZDB’s fifteen founders was to create an alternative structure to the institutional and commercial panorama that they faced in the beginning of the decade of 1990. At present, ZDB still retains the identity that made its history, a transversal idea of public service who values the spirit of collaboration and empathy, constantly searching for new audiences, but always maintaining a strong relationship with the surrounding community, while stimulating debate and participation.

Team

Art Curation and Visual Arts Management
Natxo Checa

Programming and Performative Arts Management
Marta Furtado

Programming and Music Production
Marcos Silva

Communication
Alice Vale de Gato

Production
Caetana Meneses

Programming Segundas na z
Laura Gama Martins

Curator (ZDB Bookstore exhibitions)
Joana Leão

Educational Programme
Cristiana Freitas

Accounting
Contatraduz

Graphic Design
Sílvia Prudêncio

Graphic Design (segundas na z and ZDB Bookstore exhibitions)
Maria Clara Lima

Archive Management
Inês Henriques

Technical Manager
Olga Matviychuk

Bookstore
Alexandre Rendeiro

Electrical Technician
Ricardo Ferreira

Maintenance
Cesário Dias
Ivete Gomes

Installation and Building Maintenance
Vitalyi Tkachuk (Volunteer)

Bar Manager
Rui Barbosa

Front of house and bar
Bernardo Pereira, Carlos Miguel, Delano Queiroz, Francisco Correia, Carlos Gaspar, Mafalda Riobom, Ana Margarida Magalhães, Mariana do Carmo, Matilde Basto, Mauro Soares, Sofia Bessa, Sofia Medeiros, Inês do Canto, Rita Peças

Text Editing
Alexandre Ribeiro, André Santos, Bruno Silva, Nuno Afonso

Programming of “sala de baixo” ~ müzak (ZDB 8 Marvila)
Orlando Rodriguez

Sócios

To enjoy ZDB’s membership status and have the membership card we propose an annual fee of 30€. The ZDB Membership Card offers:

⟡ Free entrance to all exhibitions

⟡ Free entrance for 1 concert per month to be designated by ZDB *

⟡ Free entrance for 3 concerts at ZDB at the members’ choice *

⟡ Free entrance to 2 performing arts sessions at members’ choice *

⟡ Free access to ZDB Terrace and 49 Bar

To be a ZDB Member or renew your annual membership simply fill out this membership form. Payment can be made at the entrance of ZDB on working days or by transfer via mail: reservas@zedosbois.org

* upon reservation with 48h in advance

Learning

Escola livre

Mon24.03.2506:30PM

Galeria Zé dos Bois

Still from the recording of What is the Act of Creation, by Deleuze (1987) – “It is necessary that [the artist] has a need”.

The act of creation
March 24, 2025 (Monday), 06:30 PM

In the next class, we will look at the text “What is the act of creation”, by Gilles Deleuze, given in 1987 as part of the “Cinema and Philosophy” conference cycle, promoted by the Georges Pompidou Center in Paris.

A translation of the transcript can be accessed here. If you prefer, you can watch the recording of the original lecture, subtitled in Portuguese.

site

Mon24.03.2506:30PM

Galeria Zé dos Bois

Entrance

Free entrance.

Next Events

Music

Concerts

ganavya presents ‘Nilam’ – ZDB at B.Leza

Thu16.10.2509:30PM

B.Leza

Zé dos Bois

Mission

Activities

History

Team

Sócios

Escola livre

Entrance

Next Events

ganavya presents ‘Nilam’ – ZDB at B.Leza

Hayden Pedigo presents ‘I’ll Be Waving As You Drive Away’ ⟡ P.S. Lucas

Alan Licht

Sully ⟡ Mix’Elle

Jack J

William Basinski

— ZDB at the Rectory of NOVA Lisbon

Ava Mendoza, Brad Jones, Hamid Drake

ZDB presents Will Guthrie & Ensemble Nist-Nah

— ZDB 8 Marvila

COLA ⟡ Tomás Varela

Chanel Beads

Super Ballet: Nourished By Time

Gouge Away ⟡ Hetta

Nap Eyes ⟡ Horse Vision

Mohammad Syfkhan

Monster

— Joe Mcphee, Susanna Gartmayer, John Edwards, Mariá Portugal

Shabaka (solo)

— ZDB at B.Leza

The Necks

— ZDB at Maria Matos Theatre

Wolf Manhattan presents ‘Real Life is Overrated’

Kresten Osgood, José Lencastre, João Hasselberg ⟡ Joss Turnbull

Rainy Miller presents ‘Joseph What Have You Done’ ⟡ Redoma

MIZU ⟡ Fangs

Ahmed Ag Kaedy & Will Guthrie ⟡ Joana Guerra

Mun Sing ⟡ IBSXJAUR

Acid Mothers Temple ’30th Anniversary Tour’ ⟡ Divã

Filipe Sambado presents ‘Gémea Analógica’

Ilpo Väisänen ⟡ Fantasia in Dub

Anna B Savage presents ‘You & I Are Earth’ ⟡ Daudi Matsiko

em voz alta ~ segundas na z

— with Sallim and Laura Gama Martins + Miguel Abras

Escola livre

— O sonho e o inconsciente coletivo (The dream and the collective unconscious)

Programa Espacial Autónomo InterGaláctico

— exhibition by Rigo 23 in collaboration with members of the Zapatista Movement

Baahahal

— exhibition by Pizz Buin

Pizza Space-Time

— exhibition by João Marçal

massa de massas

— exhibition by Elisabete Gonçalves

Pedreiras/Quarries

— exhibition by Ellie Ga and Karin Monteiro

Workshop to the ‘Pizza Space-Time’ and ‘Baahahal’ exhibitions with the Educational Service