Curated by Emília Tavares, Did you see the ocean? Memories from Tarrafal marks the centenary of the establishment of dictatorial regimes in Portugal and the 90th anniversary of the creation of the Tarrafal Prison Camp. The exhibition is the result of several years of research undertaken by João Pina into the history and memory of this concentration camp in Cape Verde, one of the most emblematic sites of political repression under the Estado Novo dictatorship. The exhibition's title is drawn from a letter sent to the artist's grandfather, Guilherme da Costa Carvalho, during his imprisonment there.   

Originating from the artist's family archive, comprising around 800 letters, photographs and documents belonging to his great-grandparents, Luíz Alves de Carvalho and Herculana da Costa Dias Carvalho, as well as his grandfather, Guilherme da Costa Carvalho, a political prisoner in Tarrafal between 1949 and 1951, the exhibition brings together approximately 250 photographs and historical documents.   

Through this remarkable body of work, João Pina revisits the memory of Portuguese anti-fascist resistance while examining the enduring legacies of colonialism and the role photography can play in fostering historical awareness and a culture of freedom.   

Combining contemporary photographs, archival images, objects, historical documents and testimonies, the exhibition addresses Tarrafal as a symbol of political repression under the Estado Novo regime. Established in 1936 to imprison political opponents, the camp later received members of African liberation movements from Portugal's former colonies, only closing its doors in 1974 after the Portuguese revolution. 

By bringing together documentary research and photographic practice, João Pina constructs a visual narrative that recovers experiences often absent from official histories, addressing themes of resistance, political violence, post-colonial memory and the intergenerational transmission of trauma.

The exhibition is organized in co-production between the Museu Nacional de Arte Contemporânea - Museu do Chiado and Museus Porto. It will remain on view at MNAC until 24 January 2027, before moving to the Alfândega do Porto, where it will be presented from March to July 2027.