«Recycling your vision»: creative people in Lisbon streets
What it is:
Lisbon city hall invited the residents to paint one of the 415 containers dispersed around the streets for recycling glass. For that purpose was launched a contest – «Reciclar o olhar» which translated means «recycling your vision» – that is already in the third stage. The initiative is held by the Urban Art Gallery, a city’s hall department in charge of patrimony’s preservation and in its start presented the work of renowned Portuguese graffiti’s artists. Only afterwards was open to everyone.
Each time a list of the containers is released on web prior to the contest. Twenty containers are object of intervention and there’s no need to have artistic education to present a project. The contest rules only require a sketch that illustrates the idea and a jury will decide according to the place and originality of the application. Last December more containers were «recycled» by a broad range of people such as school children or creative housewives and… yes! Even some artists.
Chuto na Crise! from Miguel Nozolino on Vimeo.
Why it is Cool:
Gathers everyone around the common purpose of beautifying the city by transforming the usual green container in something we love because it was made by «us». Therefore this is a «Love Thy City» initiative. By the same time empowers people by allowing them to have a project and execute it for their own street. Finally creates spaces in the city for the cool creators of cool to share their vision with the general population.
In class Ingeborg told us about Love they city, this is an great example.It’s really great and cool to see that they give the ‘normal’ people an opportunity to expose their own cool art to perk up their own street. I like the idea that the people have something on their own in the city where they live!
Thanks Norbert. It’s really funny.
Hi Thomas. Really enjoyed your photos. Thanks. You’ve been to Bairro Alto, Lisbon, allright!
) There is one of these containers among your photos. But since you’ve been to Lisbon more of it was painted. Right now 60 are spread throughout the city and another phase of the contest will be open soon. So you must come back and take more pictures. 
Hi Sonia. Just uploaded some pictures from Lisbon trip from last October: http://filt-r.tumblr.com/post/15691400603/lisbon I didn’t know there were so much beautiful painted containers there, though!
Done! I’ll take more photos to upload so that the post will be updated for some time.
I’ll upload more photos which will give you a better perspective of what’s going on with this «Vidrões» (the name we give in Portugal to these recycled glass urban containers) decoration movement.
Good idea!
Hy Carl and Norbert. Thanks for your comments. This is an invitation to inhabitants to co-create their city (like was pointed out). The city hall opened the initiative to everybody and the execution of the project happens in broad daylight. Nothing secretive about it as we associate graffiti to a «surprise» event. People are enjoying it very much: they stop to inquire what all is about and share photos of the container in «their» street in social media as well as from the ones around the city. It’s been a buzz. Surely there are more spectacular examples of street art but I think the main point here is people changing their perspective towards the possibility of having something of their «own» in the city and protecting it from vandalism because it’s «theirs».
Nice, but that is my personal opinion. Have seen it before, I like Banksy and even the work of someone in Holland who sprays square objects into Sponge Bob. Do you think average people will appreciate the kind of art in your example?
Dear Sonia. Always happy to see you back. This is ‘ Love Thy City’, ‘ Co-Create Your City’ adding something to the social texture of life there. (Which might be an extra good thing in recession-prone Portugal). There are more spectacular examples of city grafiti – but this is also about inviting all city’s inhabitants. That makes is cool.
I understand your perspective, Norbert. I have seen more spectacular Cool Grafiti Examples as well. BUT: this is about something more – and deeper. It is about inviting all the members of a city to participate. All Involved, that is what we need in harder times, like our’s.
Here’s the Sponge Bob mentioned http://bit.ly/yCbmFl