Founded in 1988 as galeria Ara, Carlos Carvalho Arte Contemporânea has broadened its focus and strategy over the years. In recent years, the gallery has made a commitment to languages that use photography as a privileged medium but not exclusively. Since its inception, the gallery has presented almost 200 exhibitions of artists from Brazil, Chile, Spain, Germany, UK, Japan, Iran and Portugal and participated in numerous artfairs such as ARCOMadrid and ARCOLisboa, Madridfoto, Photo Basel, Photo London and Paris Photo, the latter over the course of nine consecutive years.
The gallery has been a regular publisher of books in close collaboration with artists, relevant editors namely Dardo, Spain and Stolen Books, Lisbon and inviting prominent curators and writers to collaborate.
The gallery has presented the first solo exhibitions of a number of significant artists in Portugal. Represented artists have exhibited in Biennials and institutions such as Bamako Encounters, Mali, Dakar Biennal, Liverpool Biennial, São Paulo Biennial, Brazil,Venice Biennale of Architecture, Italy, MAAT, Museu Berardo, Museu Gulbenkian, Culturgest, Lisboa, Museu de Serralves, Porto, Portugal, MAM – Museu de Arte Moderna, Rio de Janeiro, Museu de Arte de São Paulo . São Paulo, Brasil, Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, Madrid, Spain, Maison Européenne de la Photographie, Paris, France, amongst many others.