If awards were doled out for exhibition size, the Gulbenkian in Lisbon Portugal, would land one for their latest Miguel Palma show. On view through July 3rd, “Assembly Line” isn’t billed as a mid-career retrospective, even though what’s on display is already far more than the average artist produces in a life time. If Palma wasn’t already known for his prolific studio practice his now. The show also achieves much the same result as a mid-career retrospective, the arranged objects illuminating the artist’s process and enduring concerns; his tendency to work on many piece at once (it would appear one idea has never sparked less than ten others); his interest in the artificial and the real as represented by nature and technology; and yes, an unwavering interest in play.
As Palma is a good friend of the blog, I’m likely biased, but “Assembly Line” is also the best solo museum show I’ve seen Lisbon. As such, I thought I’d chat with Palma about his exhibition. We talked about art, life, and cigar torpedos.
