zet gallery was created in 2014 by dst group, a holding company that has engineering and construction as its core business, but which understands culture as a variable of being competitive, developing important cultural activity, such as the Grande Prémio de Literatura dst [dst Literature Grand Prix], one of the largest private literary awards in the country, which each year awards a literary work. This year, the awards mark 25 years in existence and zet gallery is joining in the celebrations.
It all came about as an «e-commerce platform for contemporary works of art. The project has evolved, however. The gallery, a prime physical space, covering 800 sqm, presents a regular programme with six exhibitions per year. Our goal is to promote contemporary art and thought, focusing on literacy through everyday contact with art and culture». These are the words of Helena Mendes Pereira, director of zet gallery – the physical gallery of which is located in Braga –, but also curator, trainer and researcher in contemporary artistic and cultural practices, among other occupations. She has a packed curriculum vitae, being part, for example, of the team of the Fundação Bienal de Arte de Cerveira. She is the hand behind more than 80 curatorial projects, having worked with more than 200 artists, national and international, young artists and renowned ones (Paula Rego, Vhils, Joana Vasconcelos, among others).
zet gallery is «much more than a platform for selling works of art online or a simple gallery».
When she took on the direction of the gallery, she brought with her «the desire to continue on a path and to focus on what I know and what I am», she tells us. The artists – painting, sculpture, video, drawing, photography, installation – are carefully selected. «We represent almost 480 artists on the platform, both national and international, and there are various actions to create content online».
This year, the director highlights: «three major solo exhibitions: Francisco Vidal [virtual visit online], Miguel Palma and João Louro. These are inescapable names in our business. With them we have public space projects and, above all, a sharing of visions and dreams». But zet gallery has also «invested in actions relating art in public spaces with sustainability. Following other projects, in 2020 we launched the Art in Public Space & Sustainability Award, promoted with the dst group and with the support of IB-S-Instituto de Ciência e Inovação para a Bio-Sustentabilidade of the University of the Minho».
At this moment, when the world needs a breath of fresh air, zet gallery is just a click away (https://zet.gallery/), even though it is «much more than a platform for selling works of art online or a simple gallery: it is the safe harbour for many artists, it is a partner of several municipalities in what is strategic thinking about art in public space and it is an extension of dst group’s daily efforts in the construction of culture», concludes Helena.
