Betar

Who is Guilherme Godinho? Tell us your story and how you describe your career.

My professional career is based on architecture and urban management, currently occupying several positions in different real estate companies in Mozambique.

What meaning does art have for you? Where does your passion for contemporary art come from, given that you are a collector?

Art has been a constant presence in my life; I have always liked museums, having studied arts (history of the arts), which allowed me to structure knowledge and power, later, to start collecting.

Tell us about the collection project you created, thegodinhocollection.

thegodinhocollection is a project that exists to combat nostalgia, distance and frustration, which allows me a daily and online contemplation of the works I have acquired and that I structured in an Instagram account with that name; is also an instrument that has allowed interactions with artists, collectors, friends and curious, becoming a very expeditious and effective communication tool.

How did you receive the invitation of Eng. Tiago Mendonça to be commissioner of the first exhibition organized by BETAR?

Beautifully; Eng. Tiago Mendonça does the favor of being my friend for more than a decade, we have some common interests at the level of the arts, and specifically with regard to the plastic arts, We have talked a lot about these themes over the years and the opportunity arose within the framework of Betar’s 50 years; we can also call it the ideal excuse to present 15 young Portuguese painters with very different works.

What do you think of this type of BETAR initiatives? A civil engineering company with such a strong connection to culture is not common…

There was a strong tradition of proximity to the arts by real estate companies, this relationship was lost and it is with great joy and enthusiasm that we see this habit being reinvented by Betar; This exhibition honoring the founder of the company – Eng. José Mendonça – is part of an initiative of new patrons that must be promoted.

What criteria were used for the selection of the 15 artists presenting works in competition?

Mine, that is: a careful selection of artists (painters) under 33, with distinct paths and with very diverse works, with the aim of having 45 pieces that may represent a wide range of young national contemporary painting.

Do you think young artists have the support they need to start their journey? Do you find many differences between Portugal and Mozambique in this regard?

The beginning of a career will never be easy and the beginning of an artist’s career is part of this challenge.
There are some parallels between Portugal and Mozambique, I think that training and practice will serve to reduce these possible differences.

What are your prospects for the exhibition?

The objectives are several, being already assured the commitment of Betar to acquire a work exposed to each of the five finalists, participating each of the finalists later in a residence in Guarda, with subsequent exhibition and new commitment to purchase a frame to each of the three winners.
Finally, the José Mendonça Award is established, which I believe will be a success and a future milestone in the cultural life of Lisbon and the country.

This interview is an integral part of Revista Artes & Letras #154, July 2023
Partially automatic translation from portuguese: some expressions may differ from their actual meaning.