WHERE ART MEETS THE STREETS...

Quinta do Mocho (Owl's neighbourhood) is a very poor neighbourhood not far from Lisbon. It's an area which has been ravaged by crime, drugs and unemployment. However, two or three years ago a project was set up and a group of artists were invited to paint a set of murals on the fronts aiming to transform it from an anonymous poor neighbourhood into a living community art gallery (the largest open air gallery in Europe). It is supposed to have brought back a sense of pride to the residents, mainly emigrants from the former Portuguese colonies in Africa who had left their places after  the Carnation Revolution of 1974 and settled in Portugal, in very poor conditions... 

For many years I have been hearing about Quinta do Mocho, but not until on the other day did I dare visiting it. I went there by public transports. I thought it was not prudent going by my own car. The bus dropped me still far from the heart of the neighbourhood, which made me decide to reach it by taxi. But, when the taxi drivers were told of my destination, none of the three that I had hailed accepted to have me as a passenger. OK, no problem... I went on foot...
I didn't regret going ahead with my schedule. Nothing unpleasant happened to me and I returned back home, safely.

"Dreaming of better lodging" by Skio, a French graffiti and street-art artist,  who I had the chance to speak to and ...

I was surprised with the variety and quantity of the murals... 

... so had I with an artist from Uruguay who was painting a mural to be called 'World Peace'

Mural and building entrance  painted by Pol Corona (Argentina)

A child's dream

     Meant to raise awareness to the                 Local music performer
              abandonment  of pets        
                               

From left to right: Heron - work made out from scrap and car components; a rapper who I happened to meet and accepted my request to take a photo of him. He told me in a very proud way that he was so famous in the neighbourhood that I could even find his name on the Internet. In fact, he hadn't told me a lie.

African touch to the goddess Athena

MOCHO BEAT                                                                                                            TRUE LOVE

                                                                                                                  BUILDING TURNED INTO A POSTAL PACKAGE

WATER

~~ Thanks for stopping by ~~
~~ May you have a wonderful weekend ~~