Casa das Histórias Paula Rego — Attraction in Cascais

This detailed review is about the appalling treatment I received from multiple staff members as a person of colour. As part of a Lisbon trip, I visited with my white husband on 6 June and purchased 2 tickets at reception, sold to us by a friendly woman with a British accent. We went to the toilets before going into the exhibition space so there was a gap between us getting the tickets and actually going in.

When we eventually walked into the exhibition space, a few minutes later a staff member came directly up to me, not my husband, if I had a ticket. I said yes. She asked me again, so I asked if she wanted to see them. She said no and walked away. 5 minutes later, a member of their security staff walked the full length of the large exhibition room to me, again not my husband who was right by me, asking if I had a ticket. I said yes. She asked me to show her the ticket which I did. She silently nodded and walked away. Feeling incredibly unwelcomed and targeted, I immediately went to reception and asked the same woman who sold us our tickets, whether there is a problem because I have been asked by two members of staff questioning my legitimacy of being there. They also did not ask any other person, including my husband, in the gallery space who were all white. She apologised and laughed it off, excusing them for "being confused and it's nothing more than that". She did not ask the members of staff in question, who were right next to her, to apologise or to acknowledge their mistreatment.

This is how I understood the situation - there was a large group of international delegates from a conference happening that day in Cascais. The delegates wore bright red lanyards and wore very professional attire. Many looked East and Southeast Asian and had entered the museum at the same time as me but they went to the museum gardens. I am East Asian myself BUT I did not wear a lanyard, and was wearing a very casual outfit because I was on holiday. What the museum staff proceeded to do was lump me in with the other East Asian looking delegates and assumed I had snuck into the exhibition without purchasing a €5 ticket. I said to the woman at the reception that I did not have a lanyard and was clearly not part of the conference party, but I was duly dismissed it was anything more than a minor misunderstanding. This absolutely ruined my visit when I was so looking forward to seeing Rego's work. I did not feel safe nor could I shake off the feeling I was automatically accused of wrongdoing when I had nothing wrong. Paula Rego was a phenomenal artist who unapologetically stood for the autonomy and agency of woman's bodies, free from any form of harassment or violence. She would roll in her grave to know this is how racialised people are treated in a museum that is meant to...

We took an 30 minute taxi to visit the museum from Lisbon on a Saturday. The building was open but on arrival we were told the museum was closed for a changeover of exhibition. This was not made clear on any website or social media platform. Extremely disappointing that there was no permanent collection on display, just a programme of changing exhibitions. For an institution championing Rego’s legacy and life, it would be expected that the programme has one consistent exhibition of her work for visitors. The architecture of the museum is stunning but not worth the drive to see nothing or have the opportunity to learn about Rego. I cannot think or imagine of a male counterpart artist who would have experienced a similar curatorial oversight...

What would have been a perfect day celebrating my partners birthday was a bit of a let down due to the security and reception staff. I myself am disabled and needed to take the fold out chair out, as soon as we entered the museum my blood sugar dropped so quickly went to the cafe for a meal where staff moved us 3 times to a table. Then when sitting trying to enjoy the moment security came running to the table taking the fold out chair and telling us off for having it, then reception staff came 5 mins later asking where it was and why we had it in the cafe…when security had taken it. Ruined the experience and didn’t get...