Parque das Nações Sul, Obras de Arte Urbana 30/08/2023
Trail photos
Author
Trail stats
- Distance
- 4.31 mi
- Elevation gain
- 269 ft
- Technical difficulty
- Easy
- Elevation loss
- 269 ft
- Max elevation
- 203 ft
- TrailRank
- 55
- Min elevation
- 153 ft
- Trail type
- Loop
- Time
- one hour 31 minutes
- Coordinates
- 549
- Uploaded
- August 31, 2023
- Recorded
- August 2023
near Parque das Nações, Lisboa (Portugal)
Viewed 95 times, downloaded 4 times
Trail photos
Itinerary description
The following web site of Junta de Freguesia contains a numbered list of the pieces of art
https://www.jf-parquedasnacoes.pt/freguesia/19-arte_urbana/0
each with a short description and some info on the artist (in Portuguese, but with English, Spanish, and French translation available).
Note that the numbering of the Waypoints in this walk follows the numbering of the pieces of art on the above web site of Junta de Freguesia, not the sequence as they are encountered along the chosen route.
Also, since Wikiloc does currently only allow max. 25 waypoints per track, I had to combine in some cases several pieces of art into one waypoint, although they are from different artists or spaced somewhat apart.
All artworks are publicly and freely accessible, most of them outdoors, except for those in the Metro station of Oriente and parts of the tile panels in the access building to the Oceanarium.
The theme of EXPO being "The Oceans", many of the artworks included water pools or fountains. Sadly enough, climate change has forced to apply water conservation measures, so that many of the fountains had to stop operating and the pools are left dry, filling only occasionally with rain water. Also, to preserve the artworks on a time scale of more than 25 years, has proven to be a costly challenge, which has not succeeded well in some cases.
The walk is very easy and entirely flat. Note, however, that the walking time of 1.5 h does NOT include taking breaks for photos etc (these I took on another occasion). If you take your time for each piece of art and enjoy the scenic views, you may easily take 2.5 h. In fact I recommend that you take half a day, explore routes aside from my track, and take breaks on the many benches you will find on the way, or in one of the cafés and restaurants.
There is more urban art to be found in the northern part of Parque das Nações. Until I get along to document this as a walk, you have to make do with the description on the Junta de Freguesia web site and find your own track.
Waypoints
Metro
64 ft
Estação de Metro do Oriente
Your starting point: the train and Metro station Gare do Oriente (architect Santiago Calatrava). Inside the Metro station, you will find 10 "paineis de azulejos" (panels of Portuguese tiles) by various artists, as well as a fish sculpture (next time I'll take the Metro I'll have to remember to take some pictures of those).
Monument
0 ft
20-João Charters de Almeida: 'Numa Porta Habitável em Vermelho e Verde'
20-João Charters de Almeida: "Numa Porta Habitável em Vermelho e Verde" (In a Habitable Door in Red and Green) This sculpture can be seen from street level but if you want to see it up close, you have to take some stairs (public access) that lead up to a higher level terrace of the building.
Monument
0 ft
15-Rigo:'Caminhos de água' Calçada Portuguesa
15-Rigo:"Caminhos de água" Calçada Portuguesa. All along the central part of Alameda dos Oceanos (Avenue of the Oceans), you find these portuguese pavements "Caminhos de água" (Water ways) designed by Rigo. On this part of the walk on a length of 1 km, you will encounter 5 different stretches, where this waypoint marks only the first one.
Waterfall
0 ft
14-WET Design / RISCO 'Vulcões de água'
14-WET Design / RISCO "Vulcões de água". On the central part of Alameda dos Oceanos, there are 6 of these "water vulcans" by WET Design / RISCO, and you will encounter 3 of them on this stretch of 1 km. They used to perform large eruptions of water every 10 min, but now (Aug 2023) it seems not all of them are working any longer, or with reduced amounts of water (could be technical problems or measures for water conservation, I don't know). According to latest info of April 2924, they are currently being repaired. If you decide to wait in front of one, choose one that is visibly wet from running water, and not turned off completely. On each side of the vulcanos, there are long water pools that used to channel waves produced by generators located underneath the vulcano, but which stopped working long ago.
Monument
0 ft
11.2-Fernanda Fragateiro: 'Cortina' and António Modesto e Artur Madeira: 'Gil', the mascot of EXPO '98
11.2-Fernanda Fragateiro: "Cortina" (Curtain) and Unnumbered-António Modesto e Artur Madeira: "Gil" Mascote Expo '98. Next to "Rotunda Republica Argentina" you find these two artworks close together.
Monument
0 ft
7-Pedro Calapez: Piso adjacente Torre da Refinaria
7-Pedro Calapez: Piso adjacente Torre da Refinaria. You approach the "Torra da Refinaria GALP" (refinery tower), as far as I know the only remaining piece of industrial equipment inside Parque das Nações that was left standing as a monument and reminder that before 1998 this area used to be the site of the large oil refinery of Cabo Ruivo (further to the South you still find the skeletons of large, deactivated natural gas storage tanks, it is planned that those also disappear during the next years, giving way to a residential quarter). The tower dates from 1939 and was used for catalytic cracking until 1994, with all these decades a flame burning at its top. At the foot of the tower, you find a large section of "calçada portuguesa" by the artist Pedro Calapez. Unfortunately it is not possible to admire this artwork fully by standing right next to it, it was designed to be viewed from above, while climbing the tower, which sadly is no longer accessible (even the lower level circular walkway is closed). On the web site of Junta de Freguesia https://www.jf-parquedasnacoes.pt/freguesia/19-arte_urbana/61 you can see a picture of the whole artistic pavement taken by a drone.
Monument
0 ft
3-Jorge Martins: Painel de Azulejos, Ratton/Viúva Lamego
3-Jorge Martins: Painel de Azulejos, Ratton/Viúva Lamego. Azulejos, designed by Jorge Martins and fabricated by the "Ratton Cerâmicas" and "Viúva Lamego" manufactures, cover the whole Eastern facade of "Edifício Ecran" on a length of 370 m.
Monument
0 ft
2-Fernando Conduto: 'Esfera Armilar'
2-Fernando Conduto: "Esfera Armilar". Fernando Conduto's modern version of an Armillary Sphere on top of "Edifício Ecran" (Screen building) in combination with the Azulejo tiles by Jorge Martins along its front and corner make this certainly one of the most iconic and impressive residential buildings of Parque das Nações.
Monument
0 ft
1-Pedro Cabrita Reis: Sem titulo
1-Pedro Cabrita Reis. The main sculpture part of this artwork without title is located in the middle of a roundabout, which you have to cross if you want to see it up close. However, as a matter of fact, the whole ensemble of sculpture plus the bridge behind it is the work of art. As far as I know there are plans that the bridge will disappear some time in the future, along with the construction of a new residential quarter in the formerly industrial area behind it. I quote from the description provided by Junta de Freguesia: "This construction is based on the abstract geometry of a roundabout and a viaduct that passes over it - a circle and an imperfect secant. At the roundabout, a centuries-old olive tree suggests the idea of age. The black and white tile panels symbolize the clarity commanded by the principle of perfection. The exposed concrete surfaces and the olive tree symbolize obscurity and the principle of imperfection."
Monument
0 ft
4-Ilda David:'Navigatio Sancti Brendanni Abbatis'
4-Ilda David: "Navigatio Sancti Brendanni Abbatis". Don't miss to view this artwork from close by and from both sides. The amount of detail is amazing. To my opinion a pity that it was not placed in a more prominent place. I had to google to find out what the title means: Christian tale of sea adventure written in Latin, about St Brendan, abbot of Clonfert (Ireland), and his marvellous voyages across the ocean in search of the Land of Promise. The text from the 9th century enjoyed immense popularity in continental Europe, where it was frequently copied and inspired the creation of new texts.
Monument
0 ft
5-Rolando Sá Nogueira: 'Rio vivo'
5-Rolando Sá Nogueira: "Rio vivo" (Living river). This artwork consists of three separate mosaics that you will find on the promenade along the marina. Careful when watching: there are bicycles, scooters and rollerskates on the way, sometimes quite fast!
Monument
0 ft
6-Stephen Frietch e Steven Spurlock:'Onda Luso Americana'
6-Stephen Frietch e Steven Spurlock:"Onda Luso Americana" (Luso-Amercian wave). I quote from the description provided by Junta de Freguesia: ""This stainless steel and tile sculpture represents the wave of Portuguese emigration to the USA. It was designed by artist Stephen Frietch and architect Steven Spurlock, from Washington, and offered by the Portuguese-American Community to the city of Lisbon. The work was conceived as an abstract wave, in reference to Portuguese nautical traditions and the oceanic bond that unites Portuguese people spread across the world. It also evokes the reinforcement structure of a vessel, located on the riverbank. It is 2.4 meters high and 18 meters wide. Held as a form of gratitude to Portugal by Portuguese-American immigrants, it contains the names of emigrants and Portuguese-descendants who wanted to participate in the project."
Monument
0 ft
8-Adalgisa Duarte:'Simultaneidade ajustada'
8-Adalgisa Duarte:"Simultaneidade ajustada". How to translate that? Adjusted simultaneity? Google prefers "Tuned concurrency"... You find this sculpture inside the courtyard of a condominium (with public access). 16-Carrilho da Graça: Floreiras e Bancos (em todo o EXPO) Benches and flower pots designed by the artist Carrilho da Graça can be found all over the EXPO '98 site. Their design with characteristic stripes forms part of the logos of the burrough of Parque das Nações.
Monument
0 ft
9-Susumu Shingu:'Reflexo do céu, navegante'
9-Susumu Shingu:"Reflexo do céu, navegante" (Reflection of the sky, navigator). An ever-changing sculpture that moves continuously with the winds. While the description on the web site of Junta de Freguesia claims it has only 2 arms, it used to have 3, one is clearly missing and will probably never be put back. What a pity!
Monument
0 ft
10-Fernanda Fragateiro: Jardins da Água e Fonte de Ulisses
10-Fernanda Fragateiro: Jardins da Água e Fonte de Ulisses. The water gardens by Fernanda Fragateiro with tile murals and a characteristic walkway over a pond. The "Fountain of Odysseus" used to be a fountain creating a veil of falling water, which seems to be not operational at the moment. Adjacent to it, nozzles that emit a mist of water, seem still to work periodically.
Monument
0 ft
11-Fernanda Fragateiro 'Jardins de Ulisses'
11-Fernanda Fragateiro "Jardins de Ulisses". The "Gardens of Odysseus" consist of a larger area arrangement, including the following subsections and works of art, all by the artist Fernanda Fragateiro: 11.1- "Os bancos" (The benches) 11.2- "Cortina" (Curtain, which we have already seen from the other side earlier in the walk) 11.3- "Penelope" 11.4- "A Girafa" (The giraffe)
Monument
0 ft
13-Ivan Chermayeff: Painel de Azulejos
13-Ivan Chermayeff: Painel de Azulejos. The tile panels from Ivan Chermayeff (architect of the Oceanarium) cover the whole entrance section of the Lisbon Oceanarium. They can be seen on the outside in two places. More are visible inside the museum store and on a visit to the Oceanarium.
Monument
0 ft
12-Fernanda Fragateiro:'Jardim das ondas'
12-Fernanda Fragateiro:"Jardim das ondas" The "Garden of the Waves", a landscaping project celebrating the oceans, which was the motto of EXPO '98. You continue towards "Doca dos Olivais" (Dock of the olive trees), passing by the Oceanarium. Doca dos Olivais used to be a place that connected Portugal to the world, since it was built in 1942-1943 as part of the seaplane port of Cabo Ruivo, which was in operation until the end of the 1950s. Cabo Ruivo was served by the famous Pan Am clippers from 1939-1945, with seaplane connections to the US via the Azores, and others to Madeira, South America and Africa. The planes landed on the Tejo and disembarked passengers at the dock. The ramp that you see on the way served to tow the large flying boats out of the water for maintenance.
Monument
0 ft
16-Pedro Proença:'Monstros marinhos'(Calçada portuguesa)
16-Pedro Proença:"Monstros marinhos"(Calçada portuguesa). All sorts of cute Maritime Monsters are displayed on these Portuguese pavements by the artist Pedro Proença.
Monument
0 ft
19-Rui Chafes:'Horas de chumbo' and Xana: 'Calçada do Mar Português'
19-Rui Chafes:"Horas de chumbo" and Unnumbered-Xana: "Calçada do Mar Português". On the stretch of walk in between the "Pavilhão da Ciência Viva" and the "Pavilhão de Portugal", the space under the trees is covered by "Calçada do Mar Português" (Pavement of the Portuguese Sea) by the artist Xana. Then you reach the sculpture "Horas de chumbo" (Hours of lead) by Rui Chafes, two conical iron tubes. Try out the acoustics!
Monument
0 ft
23-Jorge Vieira: 'Homem - Sol'
23-Jorge Vieira: "Homem - Sol". On the way to the sculpture "Homem - Sol" (Man - Sun) right in front of the Vasco da Gama shopping center you pass by the Casino de Lisboa, Pavilhão de Portugal, with a view on the São Gabriel and São Rafael towers.
Monument
0 ft
22-Fernando Conduto:'Mar Largo' (calcada portuguesa)
22-Fernando Conduto:"Mar Largo" (calcada portuguesa). The Portuguese pavement "Mar Largo" (Wide Sea) by Fernando Conduto stretches on a length of 300 m from Alameda dos Oceanos until the Tejo. Along most of this stretch it is flanked by flagpoles bearing the flags of all nations, with some important international organizations added at the end, and a reflecting pool, which was left out to dry in August 2023. If you are looking for the flag of your home country: they are ordered alphabetically, starting with "A" next to the shopping center, but with Portuguese names; so for instance you find "United Kingdom" under "R" like "Reino Unido", "United States" under "E" like "Estados Unidos", "Germany" under "A" like "Alemanha", and "Netherlands" under "H" like "Holanda".
Monument
0 ft
21-Antony Gormley:'Rizoma' and Bordalo II: 'Lince Ibérico'
Unnumbered- Bordalo II: "Lince Ibérico" (Iberian lynx). I don't know why this iconic sculpture made out of plastic trash by the famous but also controversial (some would say "notorious") street artist Bordalo II is not any more listed in the urban works of art by Junta de Freguesia do Parque das Nações. It was created and put up in 2019 for the World Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth and used to be included in earlier descriptions. Political differences between artist and administration? Be it as it is, it is a magnet for visitors and to my judgment the most photographed piece of art in Parque das Nações. To do the artist justice, learn more about him on the Wikipedia page https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bordalo_II --------------- Right next to it: 21-Antony Gormley:"Rizoma". Also well appreciated by visitors. I quote from the web site of Junta de Freguesia: "Iron sculpture composed of nine life-size human figures, which, when fitted together, symbolize the union between men, also suggesting the branches of a tree. This work is, in fact, the outline of an infinite number of possibilities."
Monument
0 ft
36-João Cutileiro: 'Lago das Tágides'
36-João Cutileiro: "Lago das Tágides" (Lake of the Tagides). I quote from the description on the web site of Junta da Freguesia: "Set of sculptures of female figures in marble stone that evoke the Tágides, mythical Camonian figures around a "falua", a traditional Tagus boat. Cutileiro's tagides are naked girls playing in the water, loose, carefree. The sculptor called them “Tágides” because Camões also named the nymphs that lived in the Tagus River and from whom he asked for inspiration to write “Os Lusíadas”. Nymphs, according to mythology, are beings with enchanting powers that live in the waters of rivers and seas." In August 2023, the little artifical "lake" was left to dry out, with little water left in it, quite likely water preservation measures.
Monument
0 ft
24-Hugo Canoilas: 'Sobre mim'
24-Hugo Canoilas: "Sobre mim" (About me). The last sculpture on this walk is a bit hidden, above street level at the foot of Torre São Rafael, on the way back to Gare do Oriente. If you want to see it up close, walk up some stairs next to the indicative panel. It seems to defy gravity.
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