Exhibition opening: “Encontramo-nos na Zona?”

“Encontramo-nos na Zona?” 
 An exhibition by Ceci Lombardi, dri (Adriana Santos), and Maria Cidraes 
Curated by Ceci Lombardi
Opening event: Sunday 13 July at 4 pm 
Free entry
O Gabinete de Madame Thao 
Atelier 2, Rua Ferreira Borges, 191 
1350-131 Lisbon
The exhibition will run until August 2 
Opening hours: Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 12 noon to 5pm or by appointment (ogabinetedemadamethao@gmail.com)
As part of our summer programme supporting local artistic initiatives, we are proud to present “Encontramo-nos na Zona?”—an exhibition by Sintra line-based artists Ceci Lombardi, dri (Adriana Santos), and Maria Cidraes.
This collaborative project explores themes of identity, community, and belonging from the perspective of those living at the margins. The exhibition acts as a site of listening and connection for residents of the Sintra Line, foregrounding the emotional, political, and geographic barriers that shape everyday life on its periphery.
Ceci Lombardi draws on her experiences as a third-culture child, single mother, and working woman to create work centered on community and belonging. Having grown up between the United States and Portugal, her layered artworks evoke what she describes as a “silent cry” for rootedness. After returning to Rinchoa with her daughter in 2021, she began looking for networks of mutual support and co-founded Em Linha, a cultural platform for collaborative, community-based art and informal education.
dri (Adriana Santos) uses her artistic practice to explore resistance, care, and collective empowerment. Grounded in her own lived experience and psychological training, she bridges visual art and childhood education, working closely with local families. She is an active member of the Jipangue association and the Vida Justa movement, and her project Di Nôs P’Arte offers young people free access to creative expression and cultural participation.
Maria Cidraes reflects on universal emotional states through a symbolic cast of anonymous “dolls” that serve as proxies for human identity and feeling. With a background in creative advertising, she began her artistic practice through drawing. After a period living in Lisbon in search of cultural engagement, her return to Sintra led to a renewed appreciation of her roots. She has been working on several local projects, including Claraboia and Di Nôs P’Arte, reaffirming her commitment to grassroots cultural development.
“Encontramo-nos na Zona?” is both a question and an invitation—to meet, reflect, and reimagine what community means in the spaces where borders are most deeply felt.