btoy piece in lisbon, portugal

we’ve just returned from a week in portugal, chasing the last of the summer sun, and its streets hold a great variety of graffiti, making a great tour. attention has been drawn to the art on the streets by a recent open air exhibition organised by the museo efemero, who placed plaques next to work around the bairro alto area and even provided a map and mp3 audio tour for the job. there was little need for the map, really, as a wander around unearthed pretty much everything you could wish for and more.

our introduction to the portuguese scene was along the railway route that takes you along the coast towards cascais. we stayed at paco de arcos and found a healthy amount of pieces, especially around the train station. further along, at carcavelos, there was more evidence of an established scene, especially around the school and on the beach. although much of it was old and crumbly [not a bad thing in my book], there was enough fresh work around to suggest the locals are active.

but it’s in lisbon where you’ll find the best, in my opinion. like all major cities, its walls attract local and worldwide artists  alike. and it looks as if space in the central area around rua do norte is in continual flux, mainly with the usual tagging, but also with a peachy selection of interesting work.

those that stood out include dolk, who has put up some great stencil pieces, though some are already fading and getting tagged over…

pieces by buff and dolk in lisbon, portugal

…and btoy, who takes 1st prize in the competition in my head, for best overall work. his fab stencil and paste-up pieces were often quite hard to find, due to the way they blended in with the ripped posters and general mayhem on the walls.

btoy piece in lisbon, portugal

other highlights was this piece which utilises the round window of an old building, again blending in with its surroundings…

diver piece in lisbon, portugal

…and this lovely face, working well over the tiles. we also found another stencil of this further out towards principe real, sprayed onto a crumbling wall and looking very elegant for it.

face piece in lisbon, portugal

perhaps the nicest surprise was when we took a ferry trip over to cacilhas to check out the waterfront and other touristy stuff. just past a hell’s angel bar, pumping out def-metal while tourists tried to eat their fish in the restaurant next door, there’s a walk along the formerly busy waterfront. houses and buildings have now crumbled away, roofs fallen in, walls barely standing alongside the rusting quay equipment. here and there someone is still in residence in an improbable home amongst the ruin. and all the way along this walk we found a collection of faded pieces by sam3. i’ve since discovered that he had done some stuff up by the castle too, but we must’ve missed that. the rusty metal and faded splendor add to the effect.

sam3 piece at cacilhas, portugal

so we’d found freehand stuff, lettering and tags galore, great stencils, paste ups, stickers, 3d work, EVERYTHING to keep the roving eye satisfied. i’d recommend a visit to the city anytime. our trip was blessed by impeccable blue skies and the city has lots of great architecture, faded glory and fabulous views to keep you amused between seams of graff. be warned though, the hills of lisbon are killers. try to start from the top and work down!

further info:

flickr gallery – all my pics from the lisbon trip

museo efemero – walking tour of the bairro alto