Join us at QUAD to celebrate the opening of Parto Sem Dor / Notes on Portuguese-ness, a solo exhibition by Portuguese photographer and visual artist Rita Pena. The launch will include exhibition speeches, a talk by art historian Mark Rawlinson, and a panel discussion bringing together Rita and artists involved in the collaborative project.
Event Programme
2 pm: Exhibition Opens
Explore Parto Sem Dor / Notes on Portuguese-ness in QUAD’s Montage Gallery.
2.30 pm: Exhibition Speeches
Join us for speeches celebrating the exhibition and the work of Rita Pena.
3–4 pm: Exhibition Talk: Knowing Ourselves Through Others: Photography, Making and Collaboration
Studio 1, QUAD. Book your free ticket at this page.
How much of who we are comes from the stories, photographs and traditions we inherit, and what happens when we explore them with other people? Drawing on Rita Pena’s exhibition Parto Sem Dor / Notes on Portuguese-ness, art historian Mark Rawlinson considers how photography and other forms of art can help us question familiar stories about ourselves, our families and where we belong. Through examples of artists working together, his talk will explore how collaboration can open up unexpected ways of seeing, remembering and understanding, and why making something together can change more than the finished artwork.
4.15–5.15 pm: Panel Discussion: Myth into Image: In Conversation with the Authors
Studio 1, QUAD. Book your free ticket at this page.
Rita Pena joins artists involved in the collaborative project for a conversation exploring the relationships between identity, memory, cultural histories and artistic practice. Building on the questions raised by Parto Sem Dor / Notes on Portuguese-ness, the discussion will consider how personal experiences, myths and shared histories can shape the ways we understand ourselves and others, and how artistic collaboration can open up different ways of knowing.
Drinks and snacks will be provided throughout the event.
Rita is the recipient of CVAN EM's Bigger Bursary, delivered in partnership with QUAD, and the Nottingham City Council Cultural Investment Fund supporting the development of the new collaborative work towards a solo exhibition at QUAD's Montage Gallery in November 2026 and a Zine Publication.