Hanging out with Philippa and Lucca from Artperitivo

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Mar 21, 2024 0 comments

Founded by Philippa Mahnel and Lucca Schopmeyer, ARTPERITIVO is a next-generation online art gallery for modern and contemporary art, striving to make curated art accessible, empowering artists by providing a space for their voices to be heard. Now based in Lisbon, we met in our Cais do Sodré store for a talk.

Can you tell us your story so far?

My name is Luísa, I was born and raised in Lisbon, and I love this city. I took a Design degree and I am extremely passionate about color and graphics. Music has always been a big part of my life, it helps me to focus on work and to never stand still. Ever since I was little I have experienced a lot of different genres of music. My mother was always listening to Fado at home, so it’s a genre that I keep very present.

Four years ago I received my first vinyl record, an album and ever since then I haven’t stopped buying music. After that I took some beginner lessons in Djing with a good friend of mine and have become more and more interested in this craft. New opportunities to play started coming up so I began to focus more on Djing, playing mostly in events and clubs. Nowadays I have a monthly program at an online radio - Collect Radio - where I play lounge and dance music.

I fell in love with Surfing couple of years before and had the idea of designing my own home in shipping containers, send them to Portugal and start my new life together with my girlfriend and daughter close to the sea.

Why Pt? Because I was travelling Portugal in my Van for more than 12 years and every time I was spending a couple of weeks at the coastline, first Zambujeira do mar, later I went South where I started to surf. The amazing nature, the Portuguese lifestyle and surfing, it was a dream for me to come there. So at the end I got things done and moved close to Budens / Vila do Bispo, where I enjoy my time, improve surfing day by day and working on my creative projects.

Can you tell us your story and why you started Artperitivo?

We met in Lisbon 3.5 years ago, and our inspiration to start Artperitivo came from our shared passion for art. Coming from creative and business backgrounds, our main motivation was to create a new and innovative way of making art more accessible and fostering an inclusive environment free from the constraints of the traditional art market. Our aim is to provide a platform where emerging and renowned artists converge, enabling both first-time buyers and art enthusiasts to easily discover and acquire the perfect piece of art for their individual taste and budget. While we do not have a permanent physical space, we hold regular physical exhibitons. As we are both located in Lisbon, many activations and exhibitions are happening here. In general, along Portugal, we are operating in the DACH area.

What would you like to conquer next?

We officially founded Artperitivo one year ago, at the beginning of 2023, and all our next steps are aligned towards making art more accessible. For this year, specifically, we have more group exhibitions planned, solo exhibitions, educational panels, exhibiting with our own booth at art fairs, and numerous corporate partnerships. Our main focus lies in growing our portfolio of promising international artists and operating beyond Portugal and the DACH area, extending across all of Europe. Being an online gallery gives us the flexibility of operating in different places with physical pop-up exhibitions and ultimately broadening our range of collectors and our community beyond physical boundaries.

What are your favorite spots in Portugal?

We both really enjoy the urban, vibrant life that Lisbon offers with its amazing people, cultural offerings, creative energy as well as the beauty of the river and the light. However, we also love to explore the diverse nature around Lisbon and the country. We particularly love the Sintra and Colares area, with its fairytale forest and magical beaches. Out there, we can draw so much inspiration.

What band or artist inspires you?

As two female founders, female artists are naturally a significant source of inspiration for us. We recently hosted an all-female exhibition showcasing works by three wonderful artists—from Portugal, the UK, and the Netherlands. Strengthening female artistry is important to us. An artist that personally inspires us is photographer Nadine Ijewere, being the first woman of color to ever shoot a cover of Vogue and who drastically fosters diversity in the creative sphere. However, our focus isn't solely on female artists. While our last exhibition was all-female, we strive to create an equal portfolio, maintaining a 50/50 female/male ratio within our artist portfolio.

What does style mean to you?

Style plays a significant role in both our private and business lives. It can be found anywhere, whether in everyday life, in fashion, architecture, design, or especially art. It's the interplay between form, expression, and perception—a unique way of communication without using the beauty of eloquence. Style and art can completely transform perceptions, curating environments with pieces that change the conception of a room from the ground up, creating immersive spaces that reflect inner worlds and invite viewers into a dialogue of renewed angles and perceived notions.

What motivated you to get started with The Peak House?

The Peak House was a dream come true. Since a long time ago when we both started traveling around the world, chasing the perfect wave, most of the times we ended up staying in places with the same feeling as The Peak House, where the contact with local people was always a priority to us. These people and friends inspired us to embrace this lovely journey