Joana Vasconcelos wants to create a museum to show her artistic heritage to the public, with the Lisbon and Oeiras city councils both bidding for the work, valued between 10 and 15 million euros. The only condition for the Portuguese artist is that this project is located near the Tagus River.
Joana Vasconcelos' spokeswoman told Expresso newspaper that no decisions have yet been taken, confirming only that the artist wants to be close to the river, in the Porto de Lisboa area and in the vicinity of Algés, an area between Lisbon and Oeiras.
According to the same publication, the mayor of Lisbon, Carlos Moedas, recently visited Joana Vasconcelos' studio, having shown enthusiasm for the project. The objective of the mayor, says Expresso, is to transform Lisbon into a centre of reference for contemporary art.
On the other hand, the municipality of Oeiras, led by Isaltino Morais, preferred not to elaborate on the topic, guaranteeing only that “it is interested in the project” and that “negotiations are under way, with nothing further to say at the moment”.