"Portugal - From Dictatorship to Democracy"

Marques Valentim brings to Portimão his book of Photography and History titled “Portugal - From Dictatorship to Democracy.”

This bilingual edition (Portuguese and English) gathers more than two hundred images that document decisive moments in contemporary Portuguese history, from the colonial conflict in Mozambique and the experiences of war, to an intense and diverse human universe, composed of local populations, expressive gazes, and luminous landscapes of the then overseas province.

The work also addresses the arrival and the difficult integration process of the so-called “returnees,” following the Revolution of April 25, 1974. The main revolutionary events are extensively documented through the lens of Marques Valentim, from the attempted coup d'état of March 11, 1975, to the “Republic Case,” the “Radio Renascença Case,” and the tumultuous “Hot Summer,” up to November 25, one of the most significant and debated moments of the Portuguese Revolution.

It also highlights the human dimension of the democratic transition, making visible not only the faces of key figures in Portuguese democracy and the European accession process, but also the daily lives of workers, families, and communities in deep Portugal during the 1970s and 1980s, as well as the experiences of emigrants who fled poverty and the colonial war in search of better living conditions.

At a time when Portugal has lived more years in freedom than under dictatorship, this work proposes, through the visual memories of Marques Valentim, whose work is among the most relevant testimonies of Portuguese photojournalism regarding April 25 — a reflection on the dictatorial regime, political change, and the paths that led to the consolidation of democracy.