Light, Form and Color

Royal Treasure Museum, Lisbon

Curated by Francisco Lacerda

12th September - 2nd October 2026

The Ajuda National Palace - Royal Treasure Museum

Palácio Nacional da Ajuda, Calçada da Ajuda, 1300-012 Lisboa

Programme

The Story of Royal Treasure Museum

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Programme

12/09/26
18:30 – 21:00

(Oficial Opening . Dress Code: Smart Casual. By Invitation Only. Guided Tour to the Museum)

13/09/26 - 2/10/26
10:00 – 18:00

Museum Security: https://www.tesouroreal.pt/paginas/04524bee-seguranca

USIA presents the exhibition “Light and Form: Dialogues between Art and Jewelry”, a sensory and aesthetic experience where contemporary art meets the rich tradition of Portuguese royal jewelry.

In this unique exhibition, carefully selected artworks engage in a dialogue with the museum’s permanent jewelry collection, revealing subtle — and sometimes surprising — connections in color, shape, and symbolism. The curators propose a gemological reading of the collection, highlighting how the properties of gemstones — such as light refraction, chromatic purity, or crystalline structure — find echoes in painting, sculpture, installation, and other visual art forms.

Visitors are invited to explore how the intense brilliance of a diamond inspires a light sculpture, how the saturated green of an emerald is mirrored in an expressionist canvas, or how the symmetrical elegance of a royal tiara reemerges in the geometry of a contemporary installation.

Each pairing — between artwork and jewel — offers a new perspective: whether through the lens of gemology, which reveals how nature gives color and form to precious stones, or through artistic interpretation, which transforms these forms into expressions of emotion and imagination.

More than a celebration of beauty, Light and Form is a reflection on the enduring symbolic power of jewelry and its lasting influence on the visual arts — a testament to how the raw matter of the Earth becomes eternal inspiration.

The Story of Royal Treasure Museum

The Royal Treasure Museum is one of Portugal’s most recent and significant cultural institutions, located in the west wing of the National Palace of Ajuda, in Lisbon. Inaugurated in June 2022, the museum was created to house and permanently exhibit the extraordinary collection of Portuguese royal jewelry, which had previously been dispersed and largely inaccessible to the public.

The Story of Royal Treasure Museum

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Where is Royal Treasure Museum?

The Ajuda National Palace - Royal Treasure Museum

Palácio Nacional da Ajuda, Calçada da Ajuda, 1300-012 Lisboa

Contact Curator: Francisco Lacerda - info@usia.co.uk

Contact USIA Team: lisbon@usia.co.uk

usia.co.uk/tesouroreal

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Credits

Organization, Production: United State Of International Artists

Communication: United State Of International Artists and Partners

Technical Support: United State Of International Artists

Texts: Abel Pena, Maria José Lourenço e Rui Jorge Agostinho, United State Of International Artists

Curator: Francisco Lacerda

Graphic Design: United State Of International Artists

© of images, texts, and translations

Visitor Rules & Guidelines

1. Visiting Hours & Admission

Admission to the exhibition constitutes acceptance of all visitor rules and guidelines. Visiting hours may be modified without prior notice.

2. Protection of Artwork

All artworks exhibited are protected cultural property. Visitors must not touch the artworks unless explicitly permitted.

3. Conduct

Visitors are expected to behave respectfully toward the artworks, artists, staff, and other visitors. Unsafe, disruptive, or inappropriate behavior may result in removal from the exhibition.

4. Photography

Photography is permitted unless otherwise indicated near specific artworks. The commercial use of photographs or videos taken in the exhibition is strictly prohibited without prior authorization.

5. Supervision & Safety

Visitors enter the exhibition space at their own risk. Parents or guardians are fully responsible for the supervision and behavior of minors. Museum Security: https://www.tesouroreal.pt/paginas/04524bee-seguranca

6. Liability

Any damage caused to artworks, exhibition materials, or the venue will be the personal responsibility of the visitor responsible for the damage.

7. Sales

The organizers act solely as facilitators. Any sales between artists and potential buyers are made outside the exhibition building.

Legal Disclaimer

This exhibition is governed by Portuguese law. Exclusive jurisdiction: Lisbon, Portugal.

Traveling to Portugal - https://www2.gov.pt/en/cidadaos-europeus-viajar-viver-e-fazer-negocios-em-portugal/viajar-para-portugal

Artists

Applications by invitation only to visual artists working in painting, drawing, prints and photography.

For more information click here.