Portuguese artist Diogo Machado (Add Fuel) customized the design of this electric box located in a gentrified neighborhood in the city of Lisbon. He added decorative tile designs to it sing symmetrical stencils inspired by azulejos (Portuguese tiles) and spray paint, he painted a commentary on what is hiding under the surface of the city as we see it. This piece is suggesting the importance of preserving tradition during fast, modern times.
Diogo Machado excels in creating imaginary worlds, where he combines fictional characters, decorative elements, a distinctive trait, an omnipresent humor and a remarkable sense of symmetry. In the series of tiles that he stencils and/or lays on the walls, he creates the idea of a trompe l’oeil, leading us to believe that these are scenes inspired in a medieval universe; such is the rigor with which he draws. However, when we’re closer and see the tiles carefully, we discover a completely contemporary composition of figures and creatures. It’s a pop world, strange, were irony is always present.
