Libson’s city square is syncopated with a new street beat of graffiti. Legendary street artist Faile‘s latest epic endeavor is titled the ‘Cathedral Project‘ which is part of the Portugal Arte 10 collective. As implied in the name, this is where graffiti and religion reside together in peace. Religion never fails to add that extra punch driving subscribers to list a set of beliefs, and street artists most definitely have their own book of commandments. Graffiti rules adhere to a credo similar to its brothers like break dancing, MC’ing under the hip hop culture umbrella. One of its most definitive elements are reclamation of space, deconstruction and remixing, and unfettered self expression.
Faile takes reclamation of space to higher levels, while the street art that we’ve seen so far are extensions of established physical edifice, Faile takes on the task to erect the structure himself from scratch.
NEXT PAGE: INCREDIBLE METAL WORK OF THE GATES
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Adorned with tiles and carvings reminiscent of ancient and majestic Catholic cathedrals. It’s not until one examines in proximity that it is actually a temple of street art. While the structure remains camouflaged within the general landscape of the city square, once examined for what it is, Faile’s cathedral becomes a pleasant and peaceful disturbance to the banalities in mainstream everyday life.
NEXT PAGE: VIDEO TOUR OF THE TEMPLE
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To challenge his ability in remixing, Faile takes traditional elements of cathedral architecture such as its distinctive arches, buttresses, stained glass windows and translates it with his own street swagger. Not known primarily as a sculpture, the work is exquisitely articulated with an urban finesse.
Faile’s style is one of metamorphosis as his art evolves based on honest intuitions and inspirations. Location, location, location. The geographical identity of the city square is changed because of this new temple and that is the most crucial objective of a street artist.
Graffiti’s ubiquitous nature allows for it to be connected and random at the same time. The Cathedral Project delivers emotions and ideas pertinent to all, the last cardinal rule of street art. Faile never fails to surprise audiences with new ways to burst out of temporal and spatial constraints in order to deliver new means of understanding the solitude of individuals while feeling interconnected at the same time. This new project is erect in Lisbon confusing, provoking, and amusing pedestrians and open for worship.
Check out the pictures of the construction and final result in the following pages of Faile’s visual splendor.
-EvelynKim|Follow Me<a href='http://twitter.com/evelynjkim
