48 artists, 48 years of freedom is the name of the artwork that will be symbolically created on 10 June 2022 in the maat Gardens, a collective mural intervention that reinterprets the work entitled Painel do Mercado do Povo [The People's Market Panel] created by the Movimento Democrático dos Artistas Plásticos [Plastic Artists for Democracy Movement] on 10 June 1974, in Belém.

The reinterpretation of this mural, 24 meters long and 3 meters wide, has the participation of 48 artists: some of them participated in the creation of the original panel and the others are artists who stood out in the art scene during the last 48 years of democracy in Portugal, an anniversary celebrated this year, and some of them are part of the exhibition Interferences: Emerging Urban Cultures, on view at maat.

The artists who participated in the original 1974 panel include Teresa Dias Coelho, Teresa Magalhães, Guilherme Parente, Emília Nadal, Eurico Gonçalves, Sérgio Pombo, José Aurélio, and David Evans. 

The starting point for this initiative was the Interferences exhibition, curated by Alexandre Farto, António Brito Guterres and Carla Cardoso, on display at the maat building until 5 September of 2022. This exhibition affirms different expressions of urban culture, exploring the narrative itineraries of the city through dialogues that prioritise the museum as a critical space, a place where various communities and sensibilities come together – those part of the establishment who frequent it and those subordinate who are unfamiliar with it. Interferences puts into dialogue works by contemporary artists who use the streets as a context of expression and experimentation and works from institutional and private collections, highlighting alternative narratives that aim to question the public and invite them to reflect on which city, urban spaces, and artistic and cultural institutions can be built by adding new voices to this process. 

48 artists, 48 years of freedom is also a reflection of this will to bring together artists from various disciplines, backgrounds, and generations, so that from these collective and shared moments a new city, more inclusive and democratic, may be born. 

The creation of the piece 48 artists, 48 years of freedom will take place throughout 10 June, between 10.00 and 22.00, in the outdoor space surrounding the Naphtha Tank, and the public is invited to watch. This initiative, which has the High Patronage of the Presidency of the Republic, is part of the programme of the 50-year celebration of the Carnation Revolution and of the Lisbon Festivities. 

There will also be a number of street food stands from several Lisbon communities in the outdoor area. A musical programme designed by the Iminente Festival will also be available, bringing together several expressions of urban culture, including live performances of breaking and breaking battles and concerts by Juana na rap and PRÉTU Xullaji.

Artists:
±MaisMenos±, Alice Geirinhas, Ana Aragão, Ana Pérez-Quiroga, Ana Vidigal , Ângela Ferreira, António Alves, Blac Dwelle, Borderlovers (Pedro Amaral), Carlos No, Carlos Stock, David Evans, Diogo Carvalho, Emília Nadal, Eurico Gonçalves, Fernanda Fragateiro, Fidel Évora, Filipa Bossuet, Francisco Vidal, Gabriel Abrantes, Guilherme Parente, Joana Vasconcelos, José Aurélio, Lima Carvalho, Manicómio, Manuel Botelho Manuel João Vieira, Maria Imaginário, Mariana Duarte Santos, Mariana Gomes, Moami31, Noah Zagalo, Obey SKTR, Onun Trigueiros, Pedro Cabrita Reis, Pedro Portugal, Petra Preta, Rappepa, Sara & André, Sepher Awk, Sérgio Pombo, Susana Gaudêncio, Tamara Alves, Teresa Dias Coelho, Teresa Magalhães, Vhils, Xana.

Institutional partners: