In today’s urban landscape, billboards often dominate our attention with commercial messages, leaving little room for artistic expression. However, a transformative initiative known as The Billboard Art Project promoted by São Rafael Galleries has emerged, revolutionizing the way we perceive these towering structures.

The Billboard Art Project is an innovative platform that repurposes vacant billboard spaces, transforming them into vibrant urban canvases. By collaborating with local and international artists, this project breathes new life into these static advertising spaces, igniting a creative revolution in the heart of Lisbon.

 Its strategic placement in urban areas ensures maximum exposure, allowing art to transcend traditional gallery spaces and reach diverse communities. Belém, Alcântara, Cais do Sodré, Santa Apolónia, Rossio, Avenida, Marquês de Pombal, Campolide, Sete Rios, Praça de Espanha, Campo Pequeno, Entre Campos, Saldanha, Alameda, Telheiras, Benfica, Quinta das Conchas, Cascais, Paço de Arcos, Caxias, or Algés… A true open-air gallery will be available to visit from November 22nd to December 19th. In total, 50 billboards will be scattered throughout Lisbon and along the Cascais line.

One of the project’s core objectives is to provide a platform for emerging and established artists to showcase their work to a wide audience. By utilizing billboards as unconventional exhibition spaces, the project amplifies artists’ messages and gives them an opportunity to connect with the public in a unique way. Abílio Marcos, Amanda Field, Anatoliy Anshin, Aoccho, Ashima Kumar, Catarina Diaz, Cecília Acevedo, Danielle Romaine, Gulnar Sacoor, Keith Grafton, Lena Silva, Leonor T. Sousa, Maite Baron, Marina Emphietzi, Raquel Gralheiro, and Sandmann Corte-real are some of the talented participating artists.

With its mission to redefine the visual landscape of our cities, The Billboard Art Project also positions itself as a powerful tool for social commentary and activism. Artists leverage this unconventional platform to raise awareness about urgent social issues, challenging social norms, and promoting dialogue on matters that truly matter. With billboards acting as giant canvases, these messages become impossible to ignore.
São Rafael Galleries invite art enthusiasts, artists, and urban explorers to join this revolution in the 2024 upcoming exhibition, which already has an open-call. By supporting this initiative, you are contributing to the vibrant transformation of our cities, empowering artists, and amplifying the social messages that shape our society.

With the Start Art Fair successfully behind us, we embarked on our journey to the esteemed Books & Movies Festival, which was held from October 19th to 21st. Upon arriving at Armazém das Artes, we were met with the Artbox VR project. We arrived at Armazém das Artes with two distinct experiences: Artbox VR: masters of Fauvism and Artbox VR: Exclusible Icons.

Artbox VR: Masters of Fauvism celebrates the universe of the most famous painters of the Fauvism movement: Paul Cézanne, Raoul Dufy, Henri Matisse, George Rouault, Sigrid Hjertén and André Derain. The impulsiveness, purity of colors and the unparalleled genius of the artists transposed into virtual reality, in an exhibition with total freedom of movement. Twelve minutes of fantasy in which the visitor is completely immersed in the dreamlike and pictorial universe of the main names of the Fauvist movement, crossing different rooms where huge projections and animations of the works allow the visitor to feel completely immersed in the artworks painted by the artists in a second plastic, sound and sensorial dimension, vibrant and unforgettable .

Artbox VR Exclusible Icons exhibition – is a true masterpiece of contemporary art. Featuring the visionary works of Ashima Kumar, Catarina Diaz, Cecília Acevedo, Jamal Masarwa, Xinyue Luo, Kevin Trinh, Giovanni Trimani, Marina Emphietzi, Arista2099, Ildikó Baranyi, Shelina Khimji, Gulnar Sacoor, Barbara Lo Faro, Kwame Koda, Arobieke Tomiwa, Maria Imperatore, Raquel Gralheiro, Sónia Travassos, Lilly Helja Jonasson, Niko Kapa, ​​Leonor Sousa, Jiayu Liu, Valeria Magini, Se Fenger, Abílio Marcos, Chien-Hua Huang, Lilia Luján and Harry Clinch. Each piece was a reflection of the artist’s unique vision and creativity. This immersive exhibition was unlike any other, bringing to life every texture, color, and emotion in a truly unforgettable way. Artbox VR is an exploration of contemporary art that simply cannot be missed.

To experience the exhibition for yourself, join us on October 19th and 20th at 10:30 am and 2:30 pm. Alternatively, catch it on October 21st at 2:00 pm and 8:00 pm.