Bordalo II, the contemporary ecological artist
Photo credit Flickr (Jaime Silva)
Who is it Bordalo II?
Plates, computer keyboards, bicycle tires are some of the objects chosen by Bordalo II for the production of his works. Artur Bordalo, grandson of the artist Real Bordalo, was born in 1987 in Lisbon. In homage to his intrinsic artistic roots in the family, he chose the name Bordalo II. This young artist has been resorting to the use of objects abandoned on city streets for his artistic production. Waste, namely plastic, metal and electronic materials, became compositional materials, which are transformed and shaped by the artist in the form of an animal. The choice of these materials is Artur Bordalo's way of criticizing the way we live today. Waste, materialism, our own consumerism and the urgent need for sustainability are the themes addressed in their installations.
Bordalo II, the artist of Urban Art (Street Art)
From his grandfather's atelier, moving later to graffiti in the streets of Lisbon, Artur Bordalo's interest in the artistic environment was evident from an early age. He attended the Painting course at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Lisbon, but ended up not completing his studies. It was during the eight years at this university that Bordalo II began by exploring and testing the combination of various practices and materials such as sculpture, ceramics, mosaic and glass.
The public space turned out to be the stage for the exploration and development of his artistic work. In 2012, he built the first animals in two factories that had closed their doors in Cabo Ruivo. His works reached international proportions after sharing photographs on social networks. Platforms such as Colossal, Bored Panda and High Fructose boosted recognition in the art world and provided visibility to the young artist's works.Artur Bordalo told how it all started in an interview with Notícias Magazine where he said: «Unfortunately, I never have trouble getting more junk. My good is the evil of the world. (...) I made a series of works in abandoned places, photographed and sent these images to publicity platforms specialized in urban arts.»
Bordalo II is an artist in constant growth, in terms of the proportions of his works, but also in the number of exhibitions at European and American level.
Photo credit P55.ART
sustainability in art
In recent centuries, the world population has been growing, thus increasing the consumption of natural resources and the production of waste. The act of consumption itself is not a problem, as it is necessary for our survival. However, when we consume excessively, exploiting the Earth's natural resources, we create adversities interfering with the balance of the planet. In a society where uncontrolled consumption and abandonment of practically new products is natural, it is necessary to talk about waste in order to create solutions for this problem. From the 1960s onwards, this environmental and ecological concern was brought to the field of the arts. Many artists began to produce works that questioned our own survival and the consequences of human action on natural resources. At a time when art was thought of as belonging to a closed space, museums, galleries, homes, a growing number of artists began to produce outside.
Bordalo II grows with these preoccupations and transmits this disquiet constantly to his works. Its installations show the influence of artists such as Joseph Beuys, who believed that the only force capable of changing humanity and the social order was art, based on human creativity. But also Marcel Duchamp's ready-mades, collages by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, among other creations that have transformed our perception of a work of art.
Photo credit P55.ART
the animals of Bordalo II
The once abandoned objects, in the hands of Artur Bordalo, now tell a new story. The plates, the tires, the doors acquire an aesthetic and communicative function, clearly expressing a critique of consumerism, but offering a sustainable solution. Bordalo II wants to represent in her works an image of nature based on animals, which are constructed from what destroys them - garbage, waste and pollution.In the P55 Marketplace, we can find pieces with faces that bring movement, expression and, above all, feeling. Beyond the purpose of the artistic objective, these works have an active presence in the common sphere, that is, art turns out to be a vehicle for the transformation of social consciousness. What is the true potential of art in relation to its possible transformation in society? Art can modify our vision, leading the spectator to question himself about several questions. In this way, it has the power to inform, clarify or question and this can lead to transformation. The animals built by Bordalo II, are now in the mouths and streets of the world, shouting about the need for socio-ecological sustainability.
Photo credit P55.ART
Giving a new life to the city from garbage
Artur Bordalo's grandfather, Real Bordalo, painted the urban landscape of the city of Lisbon using oils and watercolors. Nowadays, knowing the power of art, especially in the public space, the young artist transforms this landscape. Its installations, produced from waste, give new life to the city, integrating nature where it no longer exists. These urban visual expressions revitalize the spaces making them more alive, cosmopolitan and contemporary. With a great impact as a communication agent, they have become an integral part of the identity and image of cities. The animals of this young artist are currently found in various national and international urban and museum locations. In the P55 Marketplace you can discover his works without having to walk the streets of these cities. find it out here the animals of Bordalo II.
exhibitions of Bordalo II
the portuguese artist Bordalo II, known for his striking images of animals made from industrial waste in various cities around the world, opened his first solo exhibition in 2017, in Beato, Lisbon. Graces to Bordalo II, urban art went from marginal to consecrated. Currently, from Bragança to the Azores, there is no lack of reasons to plan big and small walks, and to find in some of them works of Bordalo II. In Lisbon, there is a Raccoon on a wall at the Centro Cultural de Belém, built in May 2015 as part of the solo exhibition of Bordalo II “Panic, Drama, Horror”; Trash Puppy, built a month later at the foot of the Cabo Ruivo roundabout, between Av. Infante D. Henrique and Passeio do Báltico; a pig on Rua do Rio Douro created this year as part of the Festival Muro; a giant bee inside Lx Factory and a dragonfly in Infame's bar. In Port,the Lisbon artist embellished one of thecorners of Cais de Gaia, making it one of the must-visit places for anyone crossing the bridge and exploring the side of Gaia. Scattered across Portugal are more animals, represented in the same way, among other works by the artist.In Coimbra, there is a new artistic installation by Bordalo II, located on the north facade of the College of Arts of the University of Coimbra (UC), next to the Science Museum. It is an owl with high legs and belongs to one of the artist's series Bordalo II, Big Trash Animals - Neutral. In Paris, at the exhibition Paris Agreement, Bordalo II, brought together 30 works, with various types of plastic found in garbage, to create endangered animals and raise awareness of the planet's sustainability problems.
To know more:
What is Urban Art? Who are the main artists?
The Representation of Animals in Art