A Brief History of the Same

Curatorial Residency of Bruno Marchand

From November 6, 2026, to February 28, 2027

My Doppelganger as Ian Curtis in Charlatan Pose (Cigarette and Tree), Bradley SLATER, 2000

Each year, the Collection Lambert invites a European curator for a four- to six-month residency at the institution. Following this period of research and immersion, the curator’s inquiries, reflections, and commitments culminate in an exhibition. Curated by Bruno Marchand, Deputy Director of the MAAT – Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology, this exhibition marks the outcome of the inaugural edition of this international program, conducted in partnership with the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation – Delegation in France.

Over recent decades, few concepts have permeated the field of contemporary art as persistently as those of repetition, variation, and difference. A Brief History of the Same explores the multifaceted variations of this theme through a vast selection of paintings, sculptures, films, drawings, photographs, and graphic works produced from the 1960s to the present day. Rather than merely illustrating a concept, the exhibition lets the artworks themselves guide us through the tensions this question has raised over the decades and the ways in which they have helped revolutionize our understanding of artistic production.

Organized into five chapters, the exhibition brings together works from the Collection Lambert and contemporary Portuguese artists, examining how recent generations have positioned themselves in relation to two of the most persistent values in the art world: originality and exclusivity. This dialogue across distinct contexts and geographies shapes a itinerary that is neither linear nor chronological, but composed of juxtapositions, contrasts, and resonances between diverse practices and positions.

With the support of

Bruno Marchand

Born in Évora in 1978, Bruno Marchand graduated with a degree in Communication Design (2002). He also holds a master’s degree in Curatorial Studies from the Faculty of Fine Arts at the University of Lisbon (2007) and is currently pursuing a PhD in Contemporary Art at the University of Coimbra. A recognized professional in the contemporary art field, Bruno Marchand has held several curatorial, production, and management roles in leading institutions and galleries. Between 2003 and 2008, he worked at Galerie 111, where he was responsible for production and communication. From 2009 to 2013, he curated Chiado 8 – Art Contemporain, a satellite space of Culturgest dedicated to solo exhibitions by Portuguese artists.

In 2016, he joined ProjecteSD gallery in Barcelona as assistant director, before joining the Visual Arts department at Galeria Zé dos Bois in Lisbon from 2017 to 2019. Alongside his curatorial work, Bruno Marchand conducts research and publishing projects. He is the author of a book on the life and work of artist José de Carvalho and co-edited, with Pedro Faro, Cadernos de Curadoria (2012), a collection of twelve journals published as part of Guimarães European Capital of Culture, dedicated to examining curatorial practices in Portugal.