Step into a world of vivid color, cultural identity, and unexpected connections at Palácio Duques de Cadaval in Évora. The new exhibition Insiders / Outsiders?, running through 26 October, offers a rare opportunity to experience contemporary Aboriginal Australian art alongside works by the L’Ecole de Essaouira artists from Morocco.
Curated by Spanish writer and curator Enrique Juncosa, the exhibition is presented in collaboration with Fondation Jardin Majorelle (Marrakech) and Museum Sa Bassa Blanca (Majorca), and features over 60 works from the Yannick and Ben Jakober Foundation.
acrylic on canvas
What unites these two seemingly distant artistic traditions is a fascinating story of cultural revival, outsider influence, and deeply personal expression. In Essaouira, Moroccan fishermen, carpenters, and craftsmen began painting in the 1980s with the encouragement of Danish gallerist Frédéric Damgaard. Their work—colorful, symbolic, and emotionally raw—has since gained international recognition.
Half a world away, in the Australian outback, Aboriginal artists began translating their ancient visual traditions onto canvas in the 1970s. With a history spanning more than 60,000 years, their art pulses with spiritual energy, ancestral stories, and the powerful presence of the land.
Collectors Yannick Vu and Ben Jakober began acquiring Aboriginal works in the 1980s, building a collection that includes iconic names such as Minnie Pwerle, Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri, and Gloria Petyarre.
Despite their different origins, both groups share a sense of storytelling through layered textures, rhythmic patterns, and luminous color palettes. Their works evoke inner landscapes as much as outer ones, capturing emotion, memory, and myth.
Set within the refined elegance of the Palácio, Insiders/Outsiders? feels both intimate and expansive—a testament to the power of art to transcend geography and circumstance.
For more information, visit the Palacio Cadaval Insiders/Outsiders? webpage.
Palácio Duques De Cadaval
Évora
Alentejo
Hours: Tuesday to Sunday – 9:00 to 13:00 and 14:00 to 18:00
Entrance:
Exhibition + Church Ticket – €10
Reduced Ticket (Up to 25 years old/Senior +65 years old) – €8
Evora Resident Ticket – €8
