The exhibition, featuring 30 works of Portuguese literature, was organized by curator Maria Joan Branco from the Faculty of Social and Human Sciences at the New University of Lisbon. This initiative was conceived a year earlier by the Portuguese Embassy in Dili, headed by Duarte Bué Alves.
The exhibition is titled 'Inventory Stripped Bare on Your Soul — 30 Classics of Portuguese Literature,' inspired by a line from the poet Rui Sintati, who lived in Timor-Leste between 1946 and 1947, and again from 1951 to 1955 before returning in 1966, after which he was forbidden from returning to Salazar's island.
Maria Joan Branco explained to Lusa that the main goal of the exposition is to provoke a discussion about Portuguese literature, as well as to re-evaluate and revive the history of Portuguese literature. She emphasized that although the exhibition is structured chronologically, the idea is that the works should not remain prisoners of their era; on the contrary, the past has a future, and this is an exercise in freedom that allows for the reinterpretation and recreation of what we today call classics, while also serving as 'a tribute to the Portuguese language.'
The exhibition includes contemporary works of art, such as music by composer João Madureira, a short film by João Cesar Monteiro about Sofia de Mello Breyner, and poetry recitation by Herbert Calder Louis Miguel Sintra.
The curator stated that, in her opinion, these elements help 'revitalize a language that is actually a living organism, and we bear the responsibility and freedom to do this constantly.'
The exhibition covers 800 years of Portuguese literary history, starting from 'Cantigas de Amigo' and ending with Gonçalo M. Tavares' 'Uma Viagem à Índia' (A Journey to India). The Portuguese Ambassador noted that the presented list is only one of many possibilities, as every person reflecting on this will create their own list.
Duarte Bué Alves reported that they aim to challenge and start a discussion so that visitors leave the exhibition feeling dissatisfied because a book by author A, B, or C is missing, or because their favorite book is X, Y, or Z. He stressed that the main thing is to encourage people to analyze what they have read and what they can read.
All exhibited books are available for viewing at the Portuguese Cultural Center library. The exhibition, which opened on Wednesday with the participation of Timor's President, José Ramos-Porto, has already received hundreds of visitors, including schoolchildren from various educational institutions. The Portuguese Ambassador added that he considers the goal achieved if there is any dialogue about the significance of these books or this list in Timorese schools.
The exhibition will be open to the public throughout November, and at the end of the visit, visitors can write down the name of the missing book and author on a special board.
