They look good from a distance, not so close up. The restoration of the Almada Negreiros murals at the Alcântara station

“Interestingly, at an international level, I think it was one of the projects where it was easiest for people to see themselves and, deep down, want to be involved. It’s a very mobilizing project, not only for its artistic value, but for the context in which the work is made. There are a series of situations that happened in the 20th century and that are replicated today, such as restrictions on freedom of expression. Almada went through all these processes of having to have its sketches, its intentions, approved by the Estado Novo”, says Teresa Veiga de Macedo. “There was even a process of doubt about its continuity in the second phase of the commission, which would be Rocha do Conde de Óbidos. And, when you arrive at Rocha do Conde Óbidos, there is an explosion of freedom.”

This project has already attracted other entities to get involved, such as Lisbon Tourism Association, responsible for promoting the Murais de Almada Interpretive Center at Gares Marítimas. There it is possible to discover details of the artist’s works, the political context that led to the commissioning of the murals by the Estado Novo and the history of those who passed through these stations in the capital throughout the second half of the 20th century.

For Teresa Veiga de Macedo, “there is more that could be done, and I hope that it will be done, synergies with other cultural entities, whether here in the Riverside Zone, or with the Gulbenkian itself, with the National Museum of Ancient Art, which is on the other side of the train line. Creating temporary exhibitions here, I think it could also greatly strengthen the motivation to returnbecause in Portugal there is a long tendency to go and visit a heritage site once and never come back, this happens a lot with the Belém Tower”.

Also following this project, the Port of Lisbon will invest in preserving the exterior of the station buildings and redeveloping the surrounding area. “Through this seed, in essence, this project was developed in which we all have the greatest pleasure in being involved”, highlights the person responsible for WMF Portugal.