The spirit of the place according to Joana Vasconcelos

"My studio is located in the Alcantara district, on the port of Lisbon, between the old town and Belem, where you'll find the Berardo Museum. It's a one of the most beautiful in Portugal dedicated to contemporary art, where I was lucky enough to have an exhibition in 2010. Nearby, of course, is one of the city's landmarks, the Belem Tower, a shining example of the Manueline style. It's a monument around which I developed a project in 2008, entitled A Jóia do Tejo, the Jewel of the Tagus. A little further on, near the Botanical Gardens, I recommend a visit to the former palace of the Portuguese royal family, the Palacio da Ajuda.

For meetings, I prefer the old town. One of my favourite restaurants, perfect for a business meal, is Café Lisboa, run by my friend José Avillez, a very creative Michelin-starred chef who is constantly opening new restaurants in Chiado and Barrio Alto. Café Lisboa is located in the Teatro Nacional de São Carlos, where José Avillez serves his famous bacalhau with explosive olives. A real surprise. One of my crabs, covered in white lace, hangs on the wall. Still in the Chiado district, you absolutely must visit Conserveira de Lisboa, a shop selling tins of sardines, octopus and anchovies, each more colourful than the last, which has been in existence since 1930. It is a perfect place for a typically Lisbon gift. It's the same at A Vida Portuguesa, where I love finding beautiful objects, cotton rugs, embroidered bags, scented soaps, toys... It's a shop whose aim I deeply share: to keep Portuguese traditions alive, but with a contemporary approach.

If you're climbing towards the business district and the big hotels, you absolutely must stop off at Eleven, which has been around for a long time. Lisbon's only Michelin-starred restaurant. The place owes its name to a project led by eleven friends, including chef Joachim Koerper and three architects. Together, they found this undeveloped spot overlooking the Amalia Rodrigues gardens, from where you can see the whole city unfold. I often exhibit my work there. Another of my favourite restaurants is Bica do Sapato, in a completely different district, on the edge of Alfama, in a former warehouse. The food here is highly inventive and the terrace overlooking the Tagus is endlessly charming. My favourite dish there is Bacalhau à Brás.

From here, you can choose to climb up to Sao Jorge Castle, from where you can enjoy one of the most beautiful views of Lisbon, especially at the end of the day, when the sky melts into the waters of the river. Alternatively, you can visit the superb azulejo museumThis is the most distinctive expression of Portuguese culture. I love the fresco entitled The Great Panorama of Lisbon, which depicts the city before the earthquake of 1755, a real Baroque gem. I was inspired by it to reproduce a view of the city that I showed at the 55th Venice Biennale."