The Kunsthalle Lissabon is a contemporary art institution that carries out its activities mostly, but not exclusively, within the cultural dynamics of Lisbon. Indeed, and in spite of having a German name, the Kunsthalle Lissabon is not based on a German-speaking country; its working structure, logistics, staff, financial resources, etc., would hardly ever fulfil the expectations of a conventional, modern-day Kunsthalle. From this point of view, and regardless of any arguments to the contrary, the Kunsthalle Lissabon is a hoax.
However, the simple assumption of the Kunsthalle Lissabon as a hoax is in itself a hoax. This notion of a fake hoax intends to convey not only how impossible it is to establish and maintain a (strictly objective and critical) position that is outside of institutional dynamics, but also the desire to simultaneously inhabit and question from the inside these same conditions, consciously accepting every contradiction that decision implies. Our wish, thus, is to position the Kunsthalle Lissabon as an intentional alternative to traditional institutional models and, in the process, expand the general view of what constitutes an institution. To come across as maladjusted to a context of neo-liberal conformity is an identity we intend to develop as a working mode. From that point of view, the Kunsthalle Lissabon is anything but an hoax.