Established in 2012, the FLR – Fundação Leal Rios is committed to showcasing, preserving, and promoting contemporary art, with a focus on the artists and artworks in its collection. Beyond safeguarding its holdings, the Foundation actively supports broader engagement with contemporary art and its cultural significance, seeking innovative ways to connect communities with artistic expression.

While it includes traditional media such as painting, sculpture, drawing, and photography, the collection also embraces video, installation, and time-based media. Its core emphasis lies in Portuguese art from the 1960s to the 1990s, alongside contextual clusters of artworks by Portuguese and international artists from the 1980s to the present—without disciplinary boundaries.

Among the many Portuguese artists featured in the collection are Helena Almeida (b. 1934), a pioneer in conceptual and photographic art; Lourdes Castro (b. 1930), co-founder of the KWY Group in Paris and known for her work with shadows and silhouettes; and Julião Sarmento (1948–2021), whose multidisciplinary practice, since the 1970s, achieved rare visual and conceptual coherence.

The collection also includes substantial artworks by international artists such as Erwin Wurm (b. 1954, AT), Matt Mullican (b. 1951, US), Cristina Iglesias (b. 1956, ES), Mohau Modisakeng (b. 1986, ZA), Lawrence Weiner (b. 1942, US), Joachim Bandau (b. 1936, DE), Jorinde Voigt (b. 1977, DE), Joël Andrianomearisoa (b. 1977, MG), Becky Beasley (b. 1975, GB), Efrat Natan (b. 1947, IL), and Tristan Perich (b. 1982, US), among others.

In line with a broader sustainability and inclusion agenda, FLR places diversity, cohesion and mobility at the heart of its programming. The year 2026 could represent a turning point, as the Foundation deepens its commitment to presenting more contextualized exhibitions, more inclusive conversations with artists and curators, and more engagement with the public. Beyond that, other community initiatives aim to bring the institution closer to the public and students of Alvalade neighbourhood in which FLR is based.

A significant example of FLR’s strategy to promote the active circulation of its collection among peer national and international institutions is the protocol signed with the Serralves Foundation in 2021. Under this agreement, 287 artworks from the FLR collection were placed on deposit, expanding access to contemporary art and enhancing the visibility of the represented artists.

More recently, in 2025, FLR was officially recognized as an institutional member of ICOM – the International Council of Museums – reinforcing its ties with both public and private institutions and further integrating into international networks. Applications for membership in RPAC – Portuguese Contemporary Art Network, CIMAM – International Committee for Museums and Collections of Modern Art, CPF – Portuguese Foundations Council, and WAF – World Art Foundation, are currently under review.