When Art Overcomes Graffiti
Muraliza
One of the first things one notices when visiting any city in Portugal is graffiti. While we know this is not unique to Portugal it can still be jarring. Someone “tagged” a building near our apartment last week. Denise and I were bothered by its sudden appearance. But I had heard about a place where the walls were covered with art, so I had to take a walk.
1.7 Kilometers
The walk was mostly uphill so it took about 25 minutes. But just over a mile from our Cascais apartment, I found it. A public/social housing project. A group of many multistory apartment buildings built in the ’60s, that in the States we would likely call “low-income housing”.
Within the housing complex, I found a community vegetable garden that seemed to be lovingly cared for. I found a skatepark and a park with lush grass and plenty of trees. Though I found graffiti on some nearby buildings, I did not find one illicit spray of paint on any of the apartment buildings.
I learned that the street art, commissioned by the city of Cascais, was installed in the summer of 2016. It looked as if it had been installed in the summer of 2021.
Muraliza: Festival of Art
The municipality of Cascais sponsored the first Muraliza in 2014. It turns out that the first piece of street art I shared (back on January 31st) was created during this event. It would seem that for several years Muraliza was a weeklong event. Guided tours were offered in Portuguese, Spanish, and English. People were encouraged to follow the painters’ progress and in 2016 a “lettering workshop” was even offered.
I wanted to figure out what became of the Muraliza program. In searching for subsequent years I found this:
According to the director of Futuro (entity that manages the network of museums in Cascais), Marco Espinheira, speaking to Lusa news agency, "it would make no sense to launch Muraliza in September and, in spring, have a new urban art action in the municipality", referring to the Urban and Contemporary Art Museum of Cascais (MARCC), which should open in April or May next year.
Marco Espinheira assured that "there will be integration of Muraliza in MARCC's strategy", having the budget planned for the festival this year been carried over to 2018. — Diario da Noticias
Further research disclosed that as of today, Cascais has been unable to secure a location for the new museum.
What a Shame
While I found joy in walking through the apartment complex yesterday, today I am saddened to learn that this successful beautification project has been suspended. Cascais is rich with museums. But there is room for one more. And if not a single building, why not bring back the event that has brought illustrious art to such modest surroundings. You can watch a video about the event in 2016 by clicking the button below.
You know me - all for art. I can’t even find enough wall space for it, but that does not deter me. They should bring back the festival. While Portugal is very old. It is so important that municipalities purchase buildings and lands to creat pocket parks, open spaces, or lands for special projects such as a new art museum. It is costly, but it takes an administration that is forward looking and willing to spend the money. Good luck. What fun to see art across city buildings - although I am not crazy about all the art you showed. I am always surprised at how much graffiti I find in European cities. I always thought it was an American crisis.
Wow! Thank you for sharing this, Nancy! I think street art is much more common in Europe, and given more regard, than in the US. We encountered some really wonderful pieces during our travels in Portugal a couple of years ago, and I’ve found similar in Berlin and Paris. I find these expressions add so much texture to the experience of a place.