Temporary Exhibition – december 5, 2025 to june 7, 2026

The Museu do Bombarral inaugurated its new temporary exhibition, “Puppets Behind the Scenes”, which invites the public to travel to the creative universe of José Carlos Barros, one of the most emblematic figures in theater and puppetry in Portugal.

The exhibition brings together a collection of puppets designed by the artist from Bombarral, revealing artistic rigor, technical precision, and expressiveness in each piece.

From metals such as zinc, copper, and brass to more delicate materials such as paper and glue, the works highlight the versatility of a creator who knew how to move between matter, gesture, and imagination.

Here, the puppets appear behind the scenes in the best sense of the word: freed from the stage and presented in a unique proximity, allowing visitors to discover the character, presence, and detail that usually remain only in the spotlight of performances.

José Carlos Barros began his career in the 1970s, working as a set designer, prop master, costume designer, and puppeteer. He was one of the founders of the Grupo de Fantoches Perna de Pau, active at the beginning of that decade, and in 1985 he created the Associação Marionetas de Lisboa, where he directed artistic creation until 1990.

His contribution to Portuguese theater also extends to the Teatro Nacional D. Maria II, where he was head of the props department, and to the management of the Teatro da Trindade, in addition to teaching as coordinating professor of the Stage Design course at the Escola Superior de Teatro e Cinema.
“Puppets Behind the Scenes” is thus more than an exhibition: it is an encounter with an artistic legacy that continues to inspire Portuguese theater and an opportunity to see, up close, what normally lives… on stage.