In the village of Atalaia, the intervention begins with a local craft whose survival depends on the transmission of knowledge across generations. Created in April 2018 for the Fundação EDP Public Art Programme as part of ARTEJO, in partnership with the EDP Foundation and the municipal council, this Scratching the Surface carving honours João Caetano, one of the village's last potters, portrayed after a photograph by Pérsio Basso. By carving the portrait into the surface of an electrical transformer substation, Vhils brings together two forms of infrastructure: one rooted in inherited manual skill, the other in the electrical grid that replaced it. The work is still listed on the official Visit Barquinha public-art route.
Year2018PlaceAtalaia, PortugalMediumWalls