A new gallery for temporary art exhibitions will be inaugurated at the rock salt mine of Loulé this Saturday (February 17) during a special invitation-only event.
The ceremony is due to be attended by the Minister of Economy and Sea, António Costa Silva, said Techsalt, the company that manages the mining complex.
The exhibition, entitled ‘Ocean: Sea is Life’, features a series of works by artists from the David Melgueiro Association and will remain on display until the end of April for all visitors to the mine.
This association, based in Peniche, “aims to provide operational and logistical support for scientific and technical activities, focusing on the knowledge and preservation of the marine environment, the study of marine ecosystems and biodiversity, collaborating with various institutions of specialised technical education,” it says.
It has organised several art exhibitions in Portugal and abroad, including in Cape Verde and in Brazil in 2022 as part of the celebrations of the centenary of the first South Atlantic air crossing, during which a fleet of six small sailboats retraced, by sea, the stages that Gago Coutinho and Sacadura Cabral completed in their epic air voyage.
Commander José Mesquita, founder and mentor of the association, has delivered lectures on the theme of the exhibition, warning about the consequences of climate change, which have led to warmer seas which have significant impacts on marine ecosystems.
The Loulé rock salt mine is the only one in Portugal which allows tourists to visit mining galleries at a depth of 230 metres, roughly 30 metres below the average sea level, totalling around 40 kilometres in length, of which 1,500 metres are open to visitors.
The type of rock (rock salt) in which the galleries were excavated is very stable, allowing a safe visiting experience. The mine is also considered one of the crown jewels of the aspiring Geopark Algarvensis, a bid backed by the municipal councils of Loulé, Albufeira and Silves seeking UNESCO approval.
With the opening of the new art gallery for temporary exhibitions, visitors to the mine will have another attraction to look forward to, along with the permanent exhibition entitled ‘Saint Barbara, Patron Saint of Miners and Other Arts’.
Those interested in visiting the mine can contact Techsalt by phone (+351 925 969 369) or email (turismo@techsalt.pt).
