Exhibition on the Art of Forgery at Porto Customs

Over 200 counterfeit paintings, seized in the past 15 years by the North Department by the Judiciary Police (PJ) are on display at Porto Customs. "The Art of Forgery" ("A Arte do Falso") gathers replicas of artwork by Picasso, Júlio Pomar, Cesariny, Malangatana, Amadeo Souza Cardoso, and unusual objects, as well, quite revealing of the criminal ingenuity. 

The opportunity came to see counterfeiting of banknotes (euros and other currencies), umbrellas that turn into weapons, paintings that had been on display at art galleries because they were approved by experts, a machine that has the gift to cure people just by turning on some lights. These are but some of the examples of what to (not)expect at Porto Customs. 

This exhibition is organised under the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the North Department by the Judiciary Police (PJ), last Friday, at Porto Customs by the PJ Director/North, Noberto Martins. This ceremony was attended by the national Director of the PJ, Luís Neves, the Mayor of Porto City Hall, Rui Moreira, the Assistant Secretary of State for Justice, Mário Belo Morgado, The Secretary of State for Tourism, Rita Marques, the chairman of the Board of Porto Customs, Mário Ferreira, and the executive Director of Porto Customs, António Gouveia Santos.

The counterfeit artwork were traced by the PJ inspectors, mainly in the urban areas of Lisbon and Porto, in art galleries, auctions, fairs, exhibitions and antique dealers. The exhibition also features a space for the younger visitors can take the fingerprints of persons and then compare them in different surfaces.

"The Art of Forgery" can be visited from Tuesdays to Friday, from 10am to 6pm, and on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from 10am to 7pm, for the coming months. Entrance is free.