Group exhibition

Pavilhão Julião Sarmento, Lisbon

04.07.2026 - 30.05.2027

Once Upon a Time in America proposes a reading exercise on the impact of U.S. mythology and culture on postwar contemporary creation. Drawing on works from the Julião Sarmento Collection, the exhibition reflects on a singular imaginary shaped by cinema, urban space, minimalism, and realism.

At the centre of the exhibition is Arena 3003 (1997 – ongoing) conceived by Rita McBride. Arena is reimagined within a copyleft framework by students and professors from the Department of Architecture of the Universidade Autónoma (Construction Seminar). Built using reused materials, this collaborative process emphasizes the principles of participation, shared authorship, and democratization embedded in the original project.

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Photo: Jorge Molder / Series New York, 1993