Portugal was one of the European nations to replace its national currency (the escudo) with the euro, and the average cost of living has risen dramatically since the euro’s adoption in 2002. Frustration with this change seems to be constantly finding its way onto the walls of Lisbon’s buildings, usually in the form of anarchist communist slogans that urge fellow Lisbonians to FIGHT ALL AUTHORITY. Red Circle-A’s are also everywhere.
At the same time, the euro is creating more radical aesthetic and material change through major construction. It is difficult to walk more than a block without running into at least one catepiler, crane, or announcement of a new infrastructure project. Perhaps most interesting is the decision to leave the facades of old buildings intact, kept standing through the elaborate use of steal beams… for now.
