Jamie W and I knew this historic neighborhood was a bit off the beaten track for rookie tourists…read morebecause we needed an Uber to guide us through the labyrinth of narrow hillside roads to get us here. When we arrived at the foot of Caracol da Graça, we were immersed in a succession of street art as we climbed the stairs (review: https://yelp.to/FyeWqG0P2X). This was only the beginning because the neighborhood as a whole felt like an open-air museum.
Striking murals are scattered throughout on the sides of buildings. They reflect specific chapters in local history, an appreciation of an artist, impassioned political memories, or some intersection of those elements. Two miradouros bookend the 1-1/2-mile self-guided stroll: Miradouro de Graça and the highest viewpoint in Lisbon, Miradouro da Senhora do Monte. Rua da Senhora da Gloria is where we found murals by renowned street artists.
The standout was a dramatic collaborative piece by two of the most famous, Shepard Fairey and Vhils (Photo 5). Half painted and half carved, this mural vividly evokes the discrimination against women's rights in Arab countries. Of particular interest was an intimate piece by Bordalo II, the artist well-known for his gigantic installations made of trash (Photo 8). On Rua Josefa de Obidos, portraits honor classic Portuguese writers and poets like Natalia Correia (Photo 2).
Three of the most striking murals can be seen on this residential street. There is "Tropical Fado in RGB Tones," an explosion of bright colors painted in 2021 by Lisbon-based muralist OzeArv, who specializes in nature and portraits (Photo 6). Artist Isa Silva produced "Once upon a time", a more fanciful mural featuring characters from famous fairy tales (Photo 9). Perhaps the most famous mural is Fairey's 2017 "Peace Guard" (Photo 7).
It features a girl holding a gun with a red carnation, a symbolic reference to the 1974 Carnation Revolution. Fairey is the same artist who created Obama's "Hope" poster. There was much more to see on various side streets including a long wall of discrete graffiti works (Photo 10). All these works create a visual dialogue between Lisbon's rich cultural heritage and audacious contemporary expression, and it doesn't require a separate admission fee to see.
RELATED - Exploring Lisbon? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/BDqfSvTJxK