Novobanco, a Portuguese culture supporter
Thursday 11 June 2026
Novobanco, the new bank of Groupe BPCE, is an active player of the Portuguese cultural environment, especially in photography. PERSONAE, its new photography exhibition from the novobanco collection, is part of the program of two of the most important cultural weeks in Lisbon: ARCOLisboa and Lisbon Design Week.
PERSONAE, the novobanco photography exhibition
The exhibition presents, for the first time, a selection of internationally renowned artists from the novobanco Collection, including Cindy Sherman, ORLAN, Marina Abramović, Erwin Olaf, Jane and Louise Wilson, Hannah Starkey, Helena Almeida, and Nikki S. Lee. The curatorial proposal reflects on the construction of identity in contemporary artistic practice. It explores both the concept of “appropriation” as a tool for identity-building and the deconstruction of social stereotypes; the exhibition is open to the public at the novobanco gallery in Lisbon until October 2026.
Lisbon Design Week
Lisbon Design Week (LDW) is an initiative sponsored by novobanco since its creation. It is a pioneering program promoting contemporary artistic and collectible design, as well as high quality craftsmanship with a special focus on handmade work in Portugal, bringing together more than 150 creators across over 80 venues throughout Lisbon.
This year, novobanco strengthened its support for young artists through the exclusive sponsorship of the Young Design Generation initiative, a prize, whose winning projects are exhibited at the Museum of Design in Lisbon, aimed at encouraging a new generation of creators and entrepreneurs in the field of design. Open to participants under 35, this open call celebrates creativity, experimentation, and diversity among young Portuguese designers or those living in Portugal, giving visibility to projects that reflect the transformations of contemporary design as a cultural, social, and ecological practice. At the same time, the initiative promotes dialogue, critical thinking, and new disciplinary approaches, establishing itself over recent editions as an essential meeting point for discussing the future of design in Portugal.
The novobanco Photography Revelation Prize
Novobanco is also preparing the 2026 edition of the novobanco Photography Revelation Prize. It’s the most important contemporary photography award in Portugal, organized in partnership with the Serralves Museum. This Prize contributes positively to Serralves’ continued role as a leading institution for contemporary art in Portugal and internationally.
In the 2025 edition, the winning works were exhibited at the Serralves Museum in Porto for seven months, attracting more than 400,000 visitors. And this event reaffirms the bank’s ongoing investment in contemporary photography and its active role in supporting artistic creation.
A major player in contemporary photography
For novobanco, photography remains one of the strategic pillars of its cultural commitment to society, promoting and sharing cultural activities and heritage in a transversal way, while encouraging artistic creation—particularly in the field of contemporary photography.
An example of this commitment is the novobanco Photography Collection, one of the most important contemporary corporate art collections in the world, comprising more than 1,000 works by 300 artists of different generations and nationalities, and open to public visitation.
The novobanco Photography Collection is part of the international visit program of ARCOLisboa, one of the country’s most relevant cultural event, bringing together galleries, artists, and contemporary art professionals from across Europe and beyond.
Novobanco is the 4th largest bank operating in the Portuguese market. Novobanco serves over 1.7 million customers – individuals, businesses, and institutional clients. As a company within Groupe BPCE, it contributes to the Groupe BPCE’s international development, while continuing to support households and businesses throughout Portugal.