“6 de Maio” | Amadora, 2018

Vhils:
“6 de Maio” is a piece I created together with social researcher António Brito Guterres that results from the work that both of us have been doing in the Amadora community with the same name, which has been the target of a demolition and resettlement scheme over the last few years, leaving its inhabitants in a state of desperation. The piece is comprised of a fragment of these demolitions, carved with the portraits of three residents from three different generations. These are the faces of people who have been living through this reality and who shared their stories and their plights with us. With this piece we wanted to pay tribute to the residents and the history of this community and preserve some of its legacy for posterity, which unfortunately is in danger of being completely forgotten due to the successive evictions it is going through. The piece is part of the exhibition “Do tirar polo natural. An inquiry into the Portuguese portrait” on view at the National Ancient Art Museum in Lisbon until 14 October 2018.

Concept: Alexandre Farto aka Vhils & António Brito Guterres
Camera: José Pando Lucas, Sebastião Góis, Sara Pinheiro
Edit: Sebastião Góis
Interviewees: Carlota, Avelino, Tukaz