O BANQUETE (1) × GALERIA NAVE
O Banquete (1): A new place for emerging talent
Our collaboration with Galeria NAVE welcomes João Campolargo Teixeira as a special 31st finalist in the 2026 Sovereign Portuguese Art Prize, creating a new opportunity for emerging talent.
Divertimento (after O’Neill), 2026. Glass, argon and sound. © João Campolargo Teixeira.
A first for The Sovereign Art Foundation
This year, the Sovereign Portuguese Art Prize welcomes 31 finalists rather than the usual 30. For the first time across SAF’s Art Prizes globally, an additional finalist joins the shortlist through a special collaboration supporting emerging talent.
This new place has been created through our partnership with O Banquete (1), Galeria NAVE’s inaugural open-call prize and exhibition in Lisbon, giving an emerging artist the opportunity to present his work alongside this year’s professional prize finalists.
How the collaboration came together
O Banquete (1) brought together 11 emerging Portuguese artists at Galeria NAVE in Lisbon. Their works were presented around a continuous table running through the gallery, creating a shared space for encounter, dialogue and different artistic voices.
Sovereign Art Foundation Chairman Howard Bilton served on the prize’s judging panel. Through the collaboration, João Campolargo Teixeira was selected to receive special entry into the 2026 Sovereign Portuguese Art Prize, joining the 30 finalists selected through our annual judging process.
In June, SAF also welcomed supporters to a private collectors’ evening at NAVE, celebrating the exhibition while raising funds for our expressive arts and community programmes for vulnerable children in Portugal.
João Campolargo Teixeira explores the relationships between drawing, sculpture, sound and language. Drawing is a starting point for his sculptures and installations, while sound offers another way of experiencing images and objects, beyond their visible form.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in Sculpture and a master’s degree in Multimedia Art, specialising in Audiovisual, from the Faculty of Fine Arts at the University of Lisbon. His recent solo exhibitions include Day in, Day out at Galeria Diferença (2025) and The Fall at Zaratan – Arte Contemporânea (2026).
The selected artwork
Divertimento (after O’Neill), 2026
Glass, argon and sound
This light and sound work responds to four visual poems from Alexandre O’Neill’s Divertimento com sinais ortográficos (1960), bringing together João’s interests in language, visual form and listening.
Supporting creativity at every stage
At the Sovereign Art Foundation, our work supports different parts of the creative ecosystem, from children discovering self-expression to artists developing their professional practice.
Our Expressive Arts Programmes support children through creativity, while our Students Art Prize celebrates young artistic voices. Our Professional Art Prize recognises contemporary artists and raises funds for our charitable programmes.
Collaborations such as O Banquete (1) add another important layer, creating opportunities for emerging artists as they develop their practice and build their careers. We’re delighted to work with Galeria NAVE to strengthen these connections within Portugal’s creative community.
We’re proud to partner with Galeria NAVE on an initiative that creates meaningful opportunities for emerging artists. Congratulations to João Campolargo Teixeira on his selection, and thank you to the NAVE team for bringing this collaboration to life.
