About

Duarte Amaral Netto (Lisbon, 1976) is an artist and photographer whose work is driven by a persistent question: where does the real end and its representation begin. Over more than two decades of practice and international exhibition, he has developed a method that moves between the documentary and the staged, without settling into either — deliberately inhabiting the zone of indistinction between the two. It is in that interval that his images operate: neither testimony nor pure fiction, but something that demands from the viewer a suspended attention, a hesitation about what they are seeing and about the degree of complicity being asked of them.

The archive — familial, found, anonymous — is his material of choice. Not as a repository of memory, but as raw material for recreating worlds and histories that could have happened, or perhaps happened differently. Family photographs, domestic objects, fragments of other people’s lives are reactivated and recontextualised until they shed their original function as records and acquire a new instability — that of documents of possible events. The archive ceases to be evidence and becomes proposition.

The everyday is the territory where this tension becomes most productive — and most dangerous. The banality of the domestic, the repetition of gestures, the predictability of interiors: it is precisely there that Amaral Netto introduces the staged, not as visible rupture but as subtle disturbance that the eye is slow to identify. His images do not announce that they are constructed. They adopt the appearance, the rhythm, and the texture of something that simply happened — and it is this calculated plausibility that produces their uncanny effect: the sense that something familiar harbours a threat we cannot name, that the recognisable is precisely where the unsettling takes hold most effectively. The viewer feels on familiar ground, and it is exactly that comfort the image turns against them: by the time the doubt arrives, it has already entered.

In 2003 he was awarded the Grand Prix at the 48th Salon de Montrouge in Paris. He was nominated for the BES Photo Award 2012, with exhibitions at Museu Berardo – CCB in Lisbon and the Pinacoteca de São Paulo, Brazil. He represented Portugal in «100 Photos pour l’Europe» (Paris, 2006) and participated in the «European Night» at Les Rencontres d’Arles (2006). His training includes a Kodak grant at ar.co, and an IED Madrid scholarship for the Master in European Fine Art Photography.

He is co-founder of Hélice, an association dedicated to the promotion of photography and publisher of the Propeller publication. In 2021 he directed the short film Raquel, selected for Indie Brazil and IndieLisboa. He has taught photography for over twenty years at undergraduate and postgraduate level.

Lives and works in Lisbon.

Grants and Awards

2015      Grant – European Master of Fine Art Photography IED Madrid

2012      BES Photo Award – 8th Edition (Nominee)

2004      Fundação Oriente Scholarship

2003      Grand Prix du 48eme Salon de Montrouge, Paris

2000      Kodak Scholarship

Solo Exhibitions

2023       “Cratera”, Galeria Belo-Galsterer, Lisboa. 9 Mar – 5 May

2021       “14-21”, Galeria da Boavista (Galeria Municipal), Lisboa, curator João Seguro. 13 Jul – 26 Set

2013      “Do que nos lembramos quando nos lembramos de nós”, Museu Nogueira da Silva (Encontros da Imagem), Braga. 13 September – 20 October

2013      “Afinidades Selectivas”, Galeria Baginski, Lisboa. 5 June – 7 September

2011      “The Polish Club Case”, Espaço Arte Tranquilidade, Lisboa. 7 June – 23 August

2010      “Do que nos lembramos quando nos lembramos de nós”, Galeria Baginski, Lisboa. 15 September – 6 November

2008      Duarte Amaral Netto, Atelier EA Mais, Açores. 5 April – 11 May

2008      Duarte Amaral Netto, Mk Galerie, Rotterdam

2007      Duarte Amaral Netto, Project Room, Arte Lisboa, Lisboa. Cat. 7 November – 12 November

2006      Duarte Amaral Netto, Módulo, Lisboa. 22 June – 29 July

2005      “Entre Dois Mundos”, Módulo, Lisboa. 24 February – 7 April

2005      Mk Galerie, Rotterdam. 19 March – 17 April

2005      “Ambient 4”, Fundação Luso Brasileira, Lisboa. Cat. 14 April – 27 May

2003      “Espaços”, Galeria Promontório, LisboaPhoto, Lisboa. Cat. 5 June – 1 August

2003      Mk Galerie, Rotterdam. 8 February – 9 March

2003      Nouvelles Images, Den Haag. 22 February – 26 March

2002      Módulo, Lisboa. 11 May – 22 June

Group Exhibitions (selected)

2025 “Spectrum – Do funcionamento dos relógios e outros padrões”, Centro Português de Fotografia, Porto. 25 Oct – 08 Mar 2026

2025 «Cura», Pavilhão 31, Lisboa. 25 Feb – 05 Apr

2023 «Caminho pé posto», Pavilhão 31, Lisboa. 02 Mar – 22 Apr

2022       “Spectrum – Do funcionamento dos relógios e outros padrões”, Galeria da Índia, Lisboa with Hélice. 7 Apr – 26 Jun 

2018       “Spectrum – É a poeira que torna o feixe de luz visível”, CCEN, Sines with Hélice. 12 May – 1 Jul

2017     «O Tempo Inscrito – Memória, Hiato e Projecção», quARTel, Abrantes. 15 July – 29 September

2017      «O que eu sou», MAAT, Lisboa. 22 March – 29 May

2017      «Linhas Cruzadas  – Colecção da Fundação PLMJ», SNBA, Lisboa. 9 February – 4 March

2016      *27 – Linhas de Diálogo, Espaço Novo Banco, Lisboa. 4 April – 30 September

2016      Periplos – Arte Portugués de Hoy, CAC Málaga. 19 February – 8 May

2013      “Don’t Look at My Camera, Museu da Imagem, Braga. 9 November – 5 January

2013      “ABECEDÁRIO AR.CO 40 ANOS”, Museu Nacional de Arte Contemporânea, Lisboa. 18 September – 10 November

2013     «HOSPITAL», Panóptico do Hospital Miguel Bombarda. Cat. Com António Júlio Duarte, Augusto Brázio, Augusto Alves da Silva, André Cepeda, João Paulo Serafim, Jorge Molder, Paulo Catrica, Pedro Letria et al. 3 Nov 2012 – 2 Fev 2013

2012      BES PHOTO 2012, Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo, São Paulo. Cat. With CIA de Foto, Mauro Pinto and Rosangela Rennó 14 June – 4 August

2012      BES PHOTO 2012, Museu Berardo, Lisboa. Cat. With CIA de Foto, Mauro Pinto and Rosangela Rennó 14 March – 26 May

2010      “Do outro lado do Atlântico” – Mostra de Video Arte e fotografia Portuguesa no Centro de Artes Helio Oiticica, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil- Curated by Paulo Reis

2010      “Impressiones y Comentarios – Fotografia Contemporanêa Portuguesa”, Fundació Foto Colectanea, Barcelona. With Patrícia Almeida, Pedro Barateiro, Paulo Catrica, André Cepeda, Nuno Cera, Filipa César, Luísa Cunha, António Júlio Duarte, Alexandre Estrela, João Paulo Feliciano, Carlos Lobo, Miguel Leal, Edgar Martins, Daniel Malhão, João Maria Gusmão & Pedro Paiva, et al. 8 June – 18 September

2010      “Private Lives”, Centro Cultural de Cascais, Cascais. With André Cepeda, Catarina Botelho, José Pedro Cortes, Mariana Viegas, Pedro Magalhães, Rita Castro Neves, Vasco Barata. 10 April – 23 May.

2009      «Do séc. XVII ao séc. XXI: além do tempo, dentro do Museu», Comissariada por Fátima Lambert. Museu Nacional Soares dos Reis, Porto. With João Jacinto, Isaque Pinheiro, João Pedro Vale, João Tabarra, Nuno Sousa Vieira, Rui Calçada Bastos, Suzanne Themlitz, et al. 29 October – 13 December

2009      “Identity in Motion”, Mk Galerie, Berlin. With Beat Streuli, Dolorès Marat and Bulent Sangar. 30 June – 8 August

2009      “EA + Group Exhibition”, Pavilhão 28, Lisboa. With João Paulo Serafim, Sandro Resende, Tobias Sternberg, Rob Tyler, Julia Oldham, Sabijntje van der Linden 2 – 28 July

2009      “Coleccionar III”, Módulo, Lisboa. 27 June – 31 July

2009      “Paisagem e Povoamento II”, Oficinas do Convento, Montemor-o-Novo. 3 July – 12 December

2009      “In Conncetion”, Pavilhão 28, Lisboa. 12 February – 12 March

2008      “European Night”, Les Rencontres d’Arles, Arles. 9 July

2008      “Paisagem e Povoamento”, Centro Cultural Emérico Nunes, Sines. 12 July – 17 August

2008      “No Connection”, Sala do Veado, Lisboa. . 3 – 31 July

2007      “Isto não é uma flôr”, Módulo, Lisboa. With Andy Warhol, David Hockney, Harry Callahan, Nan Goldin, António Júlio Duarte, Ana Mata, et al. 30 June – 28 July

2007      “Stigmata”, Sala do Veado, Lisboa.  1 – 31 March

2007      “Homo Migratius”, Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, Lisboa.  6 March – 1 April

2006      Descubrimientos, Photo España, Madrid. 1 June – 23 July

2006      100 Photos pour l’Europe, Comission Européenne, Paris. Cat. 9 May – 11 June

2006      “Entre o corpo”, Galeria Sete, Coimbra. With Ana Vidigal, Eurico Lino do Vale, Noé Sendas, et al. 4 February – 26 March

2006      Photography Course Show, Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, Lisboa. With Bárbara Assis Pacheco, Carlos Lobo, Daniel Malhão, João Paulo Serafim, Rodrigo Peixoto, Soraya Vasconcelos, Tatiana Macedo, José Pedro Cortes, Pauliana Valente Pimentel, Sónia Galiza and Manuel Duarte. 26   January – 12 February

2005      45 Years, Nouvelles Images, Den Haag. 17 December – 25 January 2006

2005      “Uma Extensão do Olhar”, CAV, Coimbra. Cat. 22 January – 3 April

2004      “Casa de Luz”, Fundacion Foto Colectania, Barcelona. Cat. With Helena Almeida, Lewis Baltz, Bernd & Hilla Becher, Larry Clark, Phillip-Lorca DiCorcia, William Eggleston, Hamish Fulton, Andreas Gursky, Nan Goldin, Candida Hoffer, David Hockney, Zhang Huan, Sherrie Levine, Vik Muniz, Thomas Ruff, Stephen Shore, Joel Sternfeld, Wolfgang Tillmans, et al. 20 October – 15 January 2005

2004      ‘Collectables’, Nouvelles Images, Den Haag. 3 – 28 September

2004      “On Side”, Centro de Artes Visuais, Coimbra. Cat. With Adriana Molder, Andreas Gursky, Paulo Catrica, Jeff Koons, Crispin Jones, Nuno Cera, Joana Vasconcelos, Samuel Fosso, Vik Muniz, Gabriel Orozco, Jonathan Monk João Pedro Vale & Branca Bastos, Maria Lusitano & Pedro Valdez Cardoso, et al. 27 June – 19 September

2003      “Geração 2003”, Módulo, Lisboa

2003      Museu Amadeo de Souza Cardoso, Amarante

2003      48 eme Salon de Montrouge, Paris. Cat. 30 April – 20 May

2002      “Fotografia Portuguesa Hoje”, Módulo, Porto

2000      Bolseiros e Finalistas, Cordoaria Nacional, Lisboa. Cat.

1999      “6 Novos Artistas”, Instituto Franco-Português, Lisboa

Art Fairs (selected)

2012      Art Rio, Galeria Baginski stand, 13 – 16 September

2008      AAF, New York, Atelier EA + stand. New York. 11 – 15 June

2007      Arco, Mk Galerie stand, Madrid. Cat. 15 – 19 February

2006      Photo London, Mk Galerie stand. London. 17 – 21 May

2005      Art Forum Berlin, Mk Galerie stand, Berlin. 28 September – 3 October

2004      Kunst Rai, Mk Galerie stand, Amsterdam. 19 – 23 May

2003      Art Brussels, Mk Galerie stand. 3 – 8 April

2002      Art Cologne (Modulo), Cologne.

Bibliography (selected)

2015    Cacao Europa, “Novas notas sobre o índex, a memória como prática ou o acto”, Metello, Verónica

2013    “Afinidades Selectivas” – http://www.artecapital.net/recomendacoes.php?ref=669

2013     “Duarte Amaral Netto: It’s all real, you just need to give up on your anguish”; in www.nihilsentimentalgia.com, Silva, Sofia

2012    BES Photo 2012 – http://www.artecapital.net/exposicao-352-coletiva-bes-photo-2012. Violante, Flávia

2011    “Duarte Amaral Netto – Onde está o facto, onde está o artifício”, Vieira Jürgens, Sandra. Revista Arq’a. December 2011

2010    Title Magazine. www.titlemagazine.net

2008    “Marilyn”. Sardo, Delfim. In Única, 7/06/2008 (Colecção BES art)

2006    “Duarte Amaral Netto – Ratselhafte Bildgeschichten”, Brudna, Dennis, in Photonews

2006    “Encenações do Quotidiano”, Cunha, Nuno, in Correio da Manhã.

2006    “Duarte Amaral Netto”, Fernandes, Francisco Vaz, in

2006    “Estudos para uma Narrativa”, Oliveira, Filipa, in L+Arte.

2006    “Duarte Amaral Netto”, Pomar, Alexandre, in Actual.

2006    C Photo Magazine, Ivory Press, Issue 2

2006    Portfolio, JA.

Collections

Américo Marques

CACE – Coleção Arte Contemporânea do Estado

Contemporary Photography Collection of Novo Banco

Colecção Nacional de Fotografia – Centro Português de Fotografia

Fernando Ribeiro

FIL

Fundação PLMJ

Mário Teixeira da Silva

Museu da Cidade