BOA HORA

Description

The former convent and court of Boa Hora

Past. The convent of Boa Hora was founded in 1633, in the old Pátio das Comédias, in the centre of Lisbon. Over the years, it was the retreat of three religious congregations, until Religious Orders were abolished in Portugal in 1834. The convent was then used as quarters for voluntary fire-fighters and as the headquarters of the National Guard.
In 1843, it was handed over to the Ministry of Justice, which turned it into a court. During the Estado Novo regime, the Boa Hora operated as the Plenary Court, which carried out the task of trying political prisoners and all those who opposed the dictatorial regime that governed Portugal until 1974.
After the transition to democracy, the Boa Hora continued to function as a court until it closed for good in 2009.
After it closed, and despite the site being sporadically and partially used for other activities, the building fell into a process of progressive degradation.

Present. Despite various and repeated promises, as of January 2022 the old convent and court of Boa Hora remains abandoned and has been so for more than a decade. And, like all abandoned spaces, it is now inhabited by the memories and characters of the many stories constructed on the basis of scripts that do not always lend dignity to the history of a population who, in spite of everything, can only be proud of their past.
Abandoned spaces are intimidating. Silence oppresses, causes anxiety, and there is no image that can fully express the sadness of looking at empty walls, some of them destroyed, the corrosion of time on the already damaged floor, the lack of use, the broken furniture and accumulated litter.

Future. This Zine Photo reveals the abandonment that the public authorities have bestowed on a space that belongs to historical heritage and collective memory, while announcing promises of future uses – all insufficient and short-sighted – that are nevertheless systematically unfulfilled.
The former convent should be converted into a space linked to the cultural and creative industries and in which to incubate new projects, giving it meaning and a future. And, so that we don’t lose the memories of the courts that operated there, and particularly of those who were sentenced there for the ‘crime’ of opinion and free thought, the Boa Hora should also house a Judiciary Museum, to celebrate the values of Justice, Human Dignity and Rule of Law, and thus save us from forgetting.

Specifics

Magazine in closed format of 40 x 28,5 cm, 40 pages of 160 gr (4 cover of 270 gr), offset printed with finishing stitched to the short stitch line. The magazine will be packed and sealed.

Edition

Limited edition of 300.