Vivian Maier lived in the shadows, a nanny who spent her days caring for children and her nights developing a secret, vast documentation of American life. This anthology, marking the centenary of her birth, brings together over 140 images rescued from abandoned storage lockers. It is a testament to the sharp, empathetic eye of a woman who never sought an audience, yet captured the soul of the 20th-century street with clinical precision and deep tenderness.

You're watching black-and-white gazes reflected in shop windows and the grit of New York sidewalks framed within the heavy, austere stone walls of a former 18th-century prison. The scale of the images contrasts with the intimate nature of Maier's Rolleiflex shots, turning the high-ceilinged galleries into a silent dialogue between the observer and the observed. Light spills through narrow windows, illuminating the quiet dignity she found in the mundane.

• Centenary celebration: A rare chance to see a curated selection of 140 works marking 100 years since Maier's birth.
• Architectural contrast: The juxtaposition of Maier's urban American scenes against the historic, imposing stone architecture of the former Cadeia da Relação.
• Social impact: A portion of the ticket proceeds supports children with cancer, turning an artistic pilgrimage into a gesture of community care.

Walk slowly through the galleries, paying attention to the self-portraits where Maier’s reflection appears in mirrors or shadows—her way of claiming space in a world that did not know her name. After leaving the old prison, walk down towards the Douro river through the narrow streets of the Vitória district, letting the faces you pass remind you of the fleeting, human moments Maier spent her life preserving.