Albufeira’s city centre EDP boxes get a ‘Fly Pontes’ makeover

Albufeira Council is funding a project to liven up the drab junction boxes that plague the Algarve’s towns and villages.

The electricity junction boxes, those awful grey things that have been imposed even in the region’s historic centres, have been subject to sporadic livening up in the past but Albufeira has taken 32 of them and is funding an artist to paint them with images that in some way reflect the city’s history.

The Council has set aside €5,000 to brighten up its downtown and historic centre areas and is funding the ALBU.ST.ART project to rid the neighbourhood of the drab look of EDP’s hardware.

The project is in three phases – iconographic research, preparation of materials and then the artwork itself.

In the rather posh sounding ‘iconographic research’ phase includes the collection, analysis and selection of the images taken from local monuments, people and designs. Different images and artistic styles will be used in each individual case.

Materials preparation and the final painting stage are self explanatory and will be carried out by Fly (Flávio) Pontes.

Largo do Rossio, Rua and Beco Latino Coelho, as well as the area near the Peneco beach elevator already have had their boxes painted over.

Fly Pontes is a well know Portuguese illustrator and painter who has had several exhibitions of his drawing and painting. Pontes is a founding partner of the 100 Pavor Association of Plastic Artists, based in Évora

Pontes already has developed a project in the Silves municipality to paint the electricity boxes using stencils and spray.