FREEDOM AT ORIENTE MUSEUM

Stretching nearly 100 meters, the installation A Liberdade (Freedom) currently takes over the entrance of the Oriente Museum, in Lisbon. This large-scale textile sculpture is entirely handmade and created specifically for the 50th anniversary of April 25th, 1974, marking the establishment of democracy and freedom in Portugal.

Using light as an integral element, the installation reveals a multitude of details that celebrate freedom as both an achievement and an ongoing process. Monumental in scale and symbolic in form, Freedom is on view at the Oriente Museum until May 19th.

The project is an award-winning work by the Fundação Oriente, selected as the winner of the Call4Art – 50 Years of April 25th Artistic Creation Competition (2024). Conceived and developed by Isa Magalhães, the installation reflects on freedom not as a fixed state, but as a value that must be continually revisited, rethought, and sustained — particularly by generations who did not experience dictatorship firsthand.

As João Amorim, Member of the Board of Directors of Fundação Oriente and President of the competition’s jury, states, "Freedom and democracy are not definitive conquests, but values that require constant care, reflection, and revitalisation — especially in the context of contemporary Europe".

At the core of Freedom lies a strong collective dimension. The installation is composed of 300 crocheted carnations, created through a collaborative process involving two social institutions:

• Centro Social da Paróquia da Lage (Vila Verde, Braga)

• Lar Maria Luísa, Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Vila Nova de Cerveira

Using green and red cotton yarn — the symbolic colours of the April Revolution — the participants handcrafted the carnations that form the heart of the work. The yarn was supplied by a local company, reinforcing the link between artistic creation, industry, and social responsibility.

The metal structure supporting the installation was crafted by a local locksmith whose work was essential to bringing the piece to life. This union between social institutions, artisans, and industry is fundamental to the spirit of the project.

The 300 crocheted carnations are attached to a steel structure shaped as an ascending spiral, symbolising both the positive impact of freedom on post–April 25th generations and the continuous, progressive struggle to uphold and expand freedom in society.

With dimensions of 950 × 250 × 340 cm, and made from steel, wire, and crochet yarn, the installation evokes a movement that never truly ends. It serves as a reminder that freedom is a shared responsibility — an open process that requires vigilance, solidarity, and collective effort, both within and beyond national borders.

By asking fundamental questions — What do we mean when we speak of freedom? Do we truly understand what it means to live in freedom, and how can it be preserved? — Freedom invites public reflection and civic engagement, transforming remembrance into action.