The Silence of Hephaestus

*The Silence of Hephaestus* brings together works from the State Contemporary Art Collection in a journey between 1957 and the present, with the Azorean territory at the center of the reflection. Starting from the eruption of Capelinhos, in Faial, the exhibition evokes the way catastrophe marked the archipelago and the silence imposed in RTP images during the Estado Novo. The works, distinct in their approaches, combine attention to the territory and exploration of the acoustic dimension, questioning who can speak and when catastrophe becomes audible. It is part of the official program of Ponta Delgada 2026 – Portuguese Capital of Culture.