About this experience
Street art has long been a part of Lisbon's culture. Before the 18th century, the city had a tradition of 'white' buildings. After the earthquake of 1755, the city was renewed, and the tradition of decorating buildings with decorative painted tiles 'azulejos', painting houses in different colors, and paving the cobblestone streets with patterns emerged.
Early graffiti was the prerogative of the poor. After the 'carnation revolution' in 1974, this form of self-expression spread, and now modern street art in Lisbon is developing rapidly and keeping up with global trends.
First, I suggest we go see the most monumental and famous graffiti in the city, at the Chrono project in the Picoas metro area. I will tell you about its history and authors. Then we will go to the Calcada da Gloria elevator, where the open-air street art gallery GUA is located, with special panels and scaffolding for artists. The graffiti here are updated very often. If we're lucky, we might observe the creation process.
I will also show you some of the latest graffiti by American artists Cyrcle, Pixelpancho, as well as one of the recent collaborations Vhils & Pixelpancho. After that, we will head to the Alfama district where we will find the work of Portuguese graffiti artist Vhils.
I also want to show you the magical little alley galleries where houses are printed with photographs of the residents of these same houses. In my opinion, this is also street art. I will tell you the story of the author of these works and discuss the technique in which they are executed.
Then we will go to LX Factory – a real island of creativity! It is located at the base of the 25th of April Bridge, and the view in this place is incredibly beautiful. There are many cafes, galleries, bars, a magical bookstore (you will find out why it's magical when you visit this place :)). Twice a year, LX Factory has an open house day when you can visit all the factory premises (offices and studios that are usually not accessible on regular days). To reach LX Factory, we can take two routes (as this place is relatively far from the center): by bus or tram, or by bicycle. You can choose the most convenient way for you.
The government is supportive of artists, providing buildings and spaces for graffiti, creating open-air galleries. By my calculations, about 7 new interesting graffiti pieces have appeared this summer, created by artists from different countries. Perhaps more will appear by the time you arrive!
Who is this tour for
For everyone who enjoys walking around the city and discovering its details.
For art lovers.
For photography enthusiasts.
It doesn't matter if you know anything about street art or not. Everyone will find the tour interesting: both beginners and those already knowledgeable in this subject.
