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My Escapes Portugal Another Lovely Trip to Portugal! Lisbon Dipping Into Lisbon Delightful Street Art in Lisbon

Delightful Street Art in Lisbon

September 11, 2014
April 29, 2015

As I wandered on Lisbon's streets - particularly in Bairro Alto, I came across a number of admirable street art creations...

Red wall with street art

A head case for keeping people

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Lisbon has an intricate collection of street art worth taking the time to admire.

Most of the beautiful artwork is found in alleys, narrow streets, away from intense traffic.

Some of the most attractive graffiti work are thus, hidden from the eyes of most people.
Mainstream tourists generally miss out on them.

I didn't purposely go on a street art tour, but I came across many by accident.

Before this Lisbon experience, I had the luck to experience beautiful Valencian street art.

Lisbon is another paradise for those who love discovering and photographing street art.

Most of the creations are found away from the crowds' eyes - along rather hidden streets.

Nevertheless, street art may be considered intrusive, destructive, so it appears hidden.

Let's not forget that even beautiful street art affects private and/or public property.

The artists are forced to hide behind the shadows of the city's thin arteries, away from the critical eyes of the masses. There are people who even hate this form of art.

Wall painting near the stairs

Near the stairs...

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And some even ruin the beautiful artwork - either because of hate or cynism.

In Barcelona I saw an abundance of businesses employing street art - among them small shops using such art on their facades, their walls etc. for the sake of aesthetics, perhaps even marketing.

Street graffitis in Central Europe, like in Hungary, Austria and Slovenia are frequently terribly abusive and are rather a form of violence than art.

In Portugal, just like in Spain - street art is more sophisticated and is indeed real art.

Still, that doesn't mean you won't encounter a bunch of vandals' graffitis here and there...

Speaking of Lisbon's beautiful street art...

You might ask yourself: how to find them, if they're hiding so deep?
Lisbon is a big city...

If you don't know where to look for the artwork, it's like searching for needles in a huge haystack.

If your time allows, then you should check out specific areas that are more prone to becoming the "victims" of creative artists.

Wicked creature

Wicked creature. Giraffe? Bird? Devil?

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The areas with most street art are found scattered in Alfama, Bairro Alto, Amoreiras, Alcântara.

But, some of the most impressive work are found along the Avenida Fontes Pereira, not far from the Praça Marques de Pombal.
This blog depicts them pretty well.

Besides, there is a so-called Wall of Fame, parts of which are shown by this website.
I heard it the largest collection of murals in Lisbon.

In my case, finding the works was merely a result of chance.

Some of the best spots were at Calçada da Glória in Bairro Alto and below the church Igreja Paroquial de São Cristóvão e São Lourenço in Alfama.

Another way to admire Lisbon's street art is to take a private guided tour. Some locals know great pathways.

This Facebook page advertises such tours. Prices are between 10-30 USD.

For those of you who have no time to waste taking long walks, a guided tour would be more adequate, but you'd miss out on the adventure.

Art-covered building

Textile sheet covering an old building

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On this photo to the right you can see an old building under restoration work.
It is covered by an artistic textile sheet - to make the sight less boring.

Again, these are quite popular in Lisbon, but not the kind of art you might expect to encounter on the streets.

Art is a form of self-expression. So is street art, naturally.

It has emerged after the 1974 carnation revolution - when Portugal swapped for democracy, therefore: more freedom of expression had been gained.

And this form of art isn't destructive, it has benefits as well - painters create projects aiming to improve the look of old run-down areas.

...adding more colour, more life to the decaying grey neighbourhoods and ruined old industrial areas, which would otherwise generate depression.

Quite interestingly, in Calçada da Glória, for instance - it's entirely legal to create murals.

Otherwise, artists normally put a lot of effort and work in fear, hiding.

My collection of only 22 photos can only give you a taste of what is hiding out there...


Wicked street art

Wicked street art

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Huge mural in Alfama

Huge mural in Alfama

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The left section

Zoomed in on the left side...

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The right section

...and on the right side

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Carnation Revolution art

Remembering the Carnation Revolution

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White dove of peace

The white dove of peace suffocated by an octopus symbolizing hate and violence

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Politicians

Let me guess: politicians?
Look closely: the huge slice of ham they're slicing symbolizes Portugal.

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Wicked black humour

Wicked black humour

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Painted tree

They should have spared the tree!

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Alley in Bairro Alto

A quiet alley in Bairro Alto

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Frog street art

I feel like being watched...

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Street art on the slope

On the slope...

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From closer...

From closer...

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Martim Moniz area

In the Martim Moniz area

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Dragon

Dragon

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April 25th street art

Another piece of art dedicated to the Carnation Revolution

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Multiple graffitis

Someone will eventually colour the top section of the wall as well!

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Graffiti text

Are you a giver?

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Escape Hunter

About the Author:

Escape Hunter, the young solo traveler in his early 30's explores the World driven by curiosity, thirst for adventure, deep passion for beauty, love for freedom and diversity.
With a nuanced, even humorous approach to travel, an obsession for art and design, Escape Hunter prefers to travel slowly, in order to learn and "soak up" the local atmosphere...



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