{
  "id": 8920802,
  "title": "'Be realistic, demand the impossible': Portugal's MUZEU wants visitors to think and reflect",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/21/be-realistic-demand-the-impossible-portugals-muzeu-wants-visitors-to",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-21T12:33:51.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Euronews",
    "slug": "euronews",
    "url": "https://www.euronews.com/culture/2026/09/21/be-realistic-demand-the-impossible-portugals-muzeu-wants-visitors-to-think-and-reflect"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The new contemporary art museum in Braga, Portugal, called MUZEU, aims to inspire visitors to think and reflect through its motto \"Be realistic, demand the impossible.\" The phrase originates from a famous photograph taken in Paris during the May 1968 civil unrest, which features graffiti with the same message on the Pont de Neuilly. Founding CEO José Teixeira, who is also the 35th richest person in Portugal, explained that the motto is significant for the museum's mission, which is to open the community to communal life and promote debate about how compassion should be brought to the table to solve social and ethical issues.\n\nThe museum showcases 100 artworks by 84 artists across five floors, with an exhibition area of approximately 3,000 square meters. The works come from 16 countries, including 45 from Portugal and 39 from abroad. Notable artists featured in the collection include Pablo Picasso, Alex Katz, Artur Lescher, Candida Höfer, Nan Goldin, and Eduardo Batarda. Teixeira is a dedicated collector with a passion for photography, believing it captures moments without erasing them. His company's campus in Braga houses large-scale artworks, libraries, and sporting equipment for employees.\n\nDespite his wealth, Teixeira sees himself as a working man and wants to lead by example. He references French philosopher Simone Weil, who worked as a press operator and milling machine operator during the Nazi occupation of France to write about work, emphasizing the importance of understanding the realities of labor. Teixeira encourages reading, visiting museums, and reflecting on community living through art.\n\nA significant piece in the new exhibition is \"Handle with Care\" by Lebanese-Canadian artist Elias Nafaa. The artwork consists of 300 hand-cast glass replicas of weapons used in contemporary conflicts, displayed at the Québec City Biennial for the first time. Nafaa's intention is to make the weapons as fragile as the destruction they cause, reversing the power dynamics by looking down on them rather than being intimidated. The piece highlights the fragility of weapon-affected individuals, like those killed by Israeli forces in Lebanon during 2025, with over 20,000 weapons used in the country.\n\nThe exhibition, titled \"Abrir Abril,\" opens to the public on October 31, 2026.",
  "summary": "Braga is the third biggest city in Portugal, but it was missing a museum of contemporary art until April this year. MUZEU has a mission to help people experience the moment through the art and to encourage them to think and reflect.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}