José Teixeira (b.1960) has in engineering his academic and professional base. He is dst group’s Chairman and it is, therefore, difficult to distinguish his patron and collector of contemporary art’s DNA from the philosophy of the holding company that believes that culture is the great factor of differentiation for the economy’s competitiveness and that the contact with Art makes us better, happier and more productive.
They are many reports of job interviews, led by José Teixeira, where the conversation converges around the books we read and our reference authors. For the encouragement of his president, the dst group has been, for more than 30 years, the main patron of Companhia de Teatro de Braga, accumulating the support, also in the area of theater, to the Comédias do Minho. Since 1995, he has been promoting a literature prize (Grande Prémio de Literatura dst) and sponsoring Braga’s Book Fair. The books, always the books. It was for decades the patron of the Encontros da Imagem, a festival that is one of the hallmarks of the cultural dynamics of Braga and is a partner of the University of Minho in many initiatives. dst group also belongs to the board of founders of the Cerveira’s Biennial Art Foundation and the Minho region, in particular, is full of public art offered by the group and placed at the possibility of contemplation, in a free and democratic way, by all those who, as we, see in Art, the beginning and the end of everything.
The project to create a platform for the dissemination of contemporary artists and artworks, based on the dynamization of a privileged space of art gallery, in the center of Braga, therefore arises naturally within dst group, with starting date on April 5, 2014. The project, pioneer in Portugal in its format, went through a normal implementation phase, attending to readjustments of concept and way of being. After the stabilization of teams and ideas, from January 2017 onwards, it began to seem as obvious and desirable that the name of the project should be closer to its founder. In addition to being a compulsive collector of contemporary artworks, José Teixeira affirms himself as a true leader, providing space for the freedom of the teams, but keeping his hand at the helm and, above all, with an enthusiasm for a project that truly worries to promote, with dignity and not measuring means, the original artistic creation.
2018 is the year of this approach, seeking this new name, which in little or nothing distances itself from the brand (since the bases are created and we are proud of them) that, in an informal way (since this is how he insists on being treated by those who are close to him: Zé Teixeira), challenges us to take it as an example: BE A COLLECTOR. Collect art. Support artists. Invest in culture. Throughout the history of contemporary art’s market, nationally and internationally, concretely after World War II, proliferate the names of galleries and projects destined for the artistic diffusion that take the names of its founders. zet gallery, in this sense, is not strange and soon goes bare. And who does not know José Teixeira, patron and collector of contemporary art, will want to know and, above all (so we wish) feel inspired enough to follow his footsteps. The art market needs it and the artists deserve it.
Changing to zet gallery, the brand takes the opportunity to affirm its expansion to provide services, maintaining the core business in the dissemination and commercialization of contemporary artworks: we are your partner for the organization of cultural projects related to artistic production contemporary, multidisciplinary, for the production of content on the artistic and cultural practices of our time, as we are also your partner in mediating orders for works of art, customized and according to your interests and budget; we evaluate your collection and advise you in the direction to take in future acquisitions, so that your objects contain your stories; we are with the school promoting initiatives that aim to facilitate the apprehension of the contemporary artistic object.
The zet gallery is more than before. It is better and more suited to its time and its audience.
Helena Mendes Pereira
chief curator
