thought that if we do this well it could be spectacular.
‘It’s ambitious, I will admit. But I’ve been in touch with English artist Reid Henderson’s personal assistant and he is keen to be involved in the project. You may not be aware that he is based in Lisbon, as well as having a home in London. His collection of paintings celebrating the birds, flora and fauna of the banks of the river Tagus was exhibited in an art gallery in London last summer. It created a lot of interest and resulted in the publication of a limited-edition hardback book, which raised a lot of money for Portugal’s marine conservation efforts.’
I pause for a couple of moments, as they are now eagerly leafing through the graphics. A talented ex-colleague in the UK did an amazing job of taking the briefing and photos I sent him and turning them into a visual representation of my vision.
‘Bernadette Brodeur, a French textiles designer, has confirmed she would be delighted to take part and is available to fly over for the day of the shoot. And fashion photographer Rafael Osorio is prepared to adjust his schedule to accommodate our time frame as soon as I confirm the board’s decision.’
Carolina glances up at me, frowning. ‘You do know of his reputation?’
I nod. ‘Yes, I’ve read a few newspaper articles about him. But to make this work it had to be someone of his calibre so that limited my options. The photographer must be on a par with the artist, to establish a level playing field between the two different disciplines. One is translating the work of the other, but in a different – although equally as high-profile – medium. Liaison regarding the textiles will be much easier, as the intention is for Reid Henderson to have final approval, once Bernadette Brodeur has submitted the samples. For an up-and-coming designer, she’s delighted to be offered the opportunity to work with us on this project and she has the full backing of her company. But from here on in it’s important we make full use of you, Antero. While both Bernadette and Rafael have assistants who reply to my emails in English, we need to be holding regular conference calls to ensure our key players can voice their opinions to avoid any misunderstandings at a later stage.’
Carolina nods her head in firm agreement. ‘I applaud the fact that you are being diplomatic, I see the need for that. Rumours are that Rafael can be difficult, but this will be a big project for him as well as for the gallery.’
‘It is without a doubt the biggest spectacle the gallery will ever have hosted. With the filming of the fashion show kicking off the two-day celebrations in the shadow of the Cristo Rei, we will need that event to draw a huge crowd to cover the costs. But it will also raise the profile of the exhibition itself and, as word spreads, we hope to break all records for visitor numbers throughout the summer. So, the pressure is on, Carolina, to get the advertising up and running without delay.’
Her grin is ear-to-ear. ‘I’m on it, as they say. Or I will be the moment I’m back at my desk!’
‘There will be an invitation-only cocktail party at the museum on day two, formally celebrating the fifth anniversary. Our special guests will get a preview of the exhibition of Reid’s paintings and Bernadette’s range of fabrics and soft furnishings based on some of his artwork. Once the video of the photo shoot has been finessed, the film will be projected on a specially made screen some nine metres high and twelve metres wide and will feature alongside the exhibition which will run through until the autumn. Bernadette speaks a little English, but no Portuguese. Reid is, apparently, fluent in Portuguese as his wife was born in Porto,’ I confirm, turning to look at Antero.
‘And Rafael, well, he’s a law unto himself,’ he informs me.
We grin across the desk at each other. ‘Sorry. But this won’t work without him. I’m hoping any temperamental issues will get lost in translation.’
Carolina bursts out laughing and Antero and I join in.
‘You are both looking at me as if I’m a mad Englishwoman.’
They glance at each other for a moment, before redirecting their gaze back to me.
‘It’s crazy, but we can do this,’ Carolina replies.
I give her an acknowledging smile and then look at Antero.
‘As an interpreter I am both discreet and…’ He stops short, casting