OMNIS: NARRATIVA’s first collective project

Mário Cruz, Inês Ventura, Francisco Romão Pereira, Rodrigo Vargas and Maria Beatriz de Vilhena will show, from November 4th at NARRATIVA gallery, the result of their photographic practices during World Youth Day, one of the most popular events of the year in Portugal.

Everything, everyone, totally. This is how, in a free translation from Latin, the title chosen for OMNIS can be understood, in which five of the founding members of NARRATIVA present distinct but complementary views on how photography relates to religion within the context of World Day of Youth that took place in Lisbon, between August 1st and 6th, 2023.

Just like the common faith of the millions of believers who flock to Lisbon for World Youth Day, the five authors share a photographic practice governed by collective codes that, in a stripped-down way, can be analogous to what unites believers around religion. Each individual has a way of relating to photography and putting their faith into practice. The same occurs with the authorial vision of the photographers represented here: each one recreates a reality that can be subject to countless readings. Everything, everyone is able to observe and to reflect.

    • Mário Cruz: 1987. Double winner of the World Press Photo award. Portuguese Society of Authors Award 2020. Founder of Narrativa.

    • Inês Ventura: 1984. Graduated in Applied Psychology, Clinical area. Thirteen years later, she changed her world to photography and currently works as an independent photographer, seeking to develop documentary projects focusing on social and psychological issues.

    • Maria Beatriz de Vilhena: 1991. She is an independent photographer and architect, currently based in Lisbon. Studied photography at CFP Bauer in Milan, and has a master's degree in architecture from Instituto Superior Técnico.

    • Francisco Romão Pereira: 1995. Freelance photojournalist distinguished at the Estação Imagem Award.

    • Rodrigo Vargas: 1986. Author present at the Vila Franca de Xira Photography Biennial and distinguished in the FNAC New Talents award.

This is also the first time that NARRATIVA has published in its own name a book that condenses the works presented in the gallery.

The book, limited to 100 copies, is sold out and it can be consulted in our library.