A rare and immersive sound sculpture exhibition by Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller brings haunting beauty to Coimbra’s historic Santa Clara a Nova
This year’s Biennial Anozero (@anozerocoimbra), held at the spectacular Monastery of Santa Clara a Nova in Coimbra, Portugal, offers a rare opportunity to experience the work of one of the most internationally respected artist duos, Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller (cardiffmiller.com).
The Factory of Shadows, their first solo exhibition in Portugal, features immersive artworks that combine image, video, sound, and music within architectural and sculptural installations, drawing visitors into highly believable fictional worlds.
The exhibition curated by director Carlos Antunes (@carlos_antunes_1969) and partner Désirée Pedro(@desiree_pedro) transforms the historic monastery into a multi-room soundscape, showcasing more than a dozen works, including The Forty Part Motet and the European debut of The Infinity Machine. These installations blur the lines between sound sculpture, architecture, and memory. Renowned for their multisensory environments, the artists have turned the space into an experience centered on sound and atmosphere.
Visitors sip cocktails while standing knee-deep in water beneath vaulted stone ceilings in a 17th-century cistern for the piece Blue Hawaii Bar, walk through NASA-inspired soundscapes beneath spinning mirrors in The Infinity Machine, and encounter ghostly voices in the monastery’s shadowy corners. This vast, decaying site — a place of immense historical and cultural significance — is now facing transformation into a luxury hotel.
The venue itself is worth the visit. Perched above the River Mondego and layered with centuries of Portuguese history, the monastery offers sweeping views, ornate baroque interiors, and a contemplative contrast to the cutting-edge technology featured in the exhibition. Originally built in the 17th century for the Franciscan order of the Poor Clares and the final resting place of Queen Isabel, the building later served as military barracks after the dissolution of religious orders. Though it now functions as a major cultural landmark and the home of Anozero, the monastery stands at a critical juncture: the state has approved its conversion into a five-star hotel.
You can click the following link and sign the manifesto to oppose the transformation of this vital contemporary art space into a luxury hotel: geral.anozero-bienaldecoimbra.pt/manifesto-a-favor-do-anozero-bienal-de-coimbra
The biennial is on show until the 6th of July at Santa Clara a Nova in Coimbra, Portugal linktr.ee/anozerocoimbra
