Located on a hill overlooking the town of Calheta, just over 30 minutes from Funchal, Casa das Mudas is a museum dedicated to contemporary art. Besides having a rich collection, it is a very dynamic cultural venue.
Inaugurated in October 2004, the building that houses this museum was designed by architect Paulo David. Its modern features, as well as its harmonious integration into the landscape, have allowed this vast architectural complex to win international awards: it was nominated for the European Mies van der Rohe Award in 2005, and received the Alvar Aalto medal in 2012. Casa das Mudas has a vast museological and artistic collection, transferred from the São Tiago Fortress, in Funchal. There are about 400 pieces, dating from the 1960s to the present day. They include works by numerous renowned visual artists, such as Lourdes Castro, Maria Helena Vieira da Silva, Fernando Calhau, António Palolo, Martha Telles, Pedro Cabrita Reis, Gäetan, Daniel Blaufuks, Álvaro Lapa or Ana Hatherly, for example.
Besides the exhibition centre, Casa das Mudas has an auditorium, library, shop, cafeteria and restaurant. It is also the stage for multiple temporary exhibitions, musical shows, theatre plays or conferences.