An electric blue wave filled with one-sentence poetry has embraced the cement-closed doors of abandoned houses right in the center of Lisbon. The project was born from the hands of da onda magnética, also known as [dom], a collective that is dedicated to public art and urban activism, always with a positive and constructive approach. And poetic, too.
[dom] is formed by the Catalonian Blai Mesa and the Brazilian Verônica Volpato, and their headquarters is in Barcelona. This project also featured the work of another street artist, Eko Five from Spain.
The project is meant to turn degraded and abandoned buildings in Lisbon into more beautiful and reflection-driven spots in the city. They used a similar blue to Yves Klein’s created blue (IKBlue), an indigo ultramar blue that the referred artist associated to the concepts of freedom, representation and personal expression. The doors have inscribed quotes from the poems of one of the most recognized Portuguese poets, Fernando Pessoa, such as “People are us,” or “Unfinished Infinit.”
What's Driving This Trend
- Street Art Revitalization
- The use of street art as a means to revitalize abandoned or degraded buildings in urban areas.
- Poetry-inspired Artworks
- The incorporation of poetry and literature into public art installations and murals.
- Blue as a Symbolism for Freedom
- The use of blue, particularly indigo, as a symbol of freedom, representation, and personal expression.
Who This Affects Most
- Real Estate Development
- Opportunity for real estate developers to revitalize and transform unused or abandoned properties into attractive spaces for tenants through artwork and urban revitalization.
- Tourism
- Mid-sized cities and municipalities can use street art, like the bright blue doors in Lisbon, as tourist and cultural attractions.
- Fine Arts
- There is potential for artists and studios to create more murals that incorporate literature and poetry, and use blue as a symbol that resonates with broader themes of freedom and personal expression.
