Democratic and poetic city

«Imagine a city where graffiti wasn't illegal, a city where everybody could draw wherever they liked. Where every street was awash with a million colours and little phrases. Where standing at a bus stop was never boring. A city that felt like a party where everyone was invited, not just the estate agents and barons of big business.»

Banksy

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dalaiama

Na ressaca do 25 de Abril

Em Portugal diz-se que o 25 de Abril trouxe democracia e liberdade.

Mas qual democracia? A do voto? A alegada democracia política não basta. É preciso democracia social. Quem realmente manda não é o governo, são as elites económico-financeiras, e coordenados por elas os cães servis que elegemos prestam-se a aplicar as políticas que acentuam as diferenças sociais. Ricos cada vez mais ricos, pobres cada vez mais pobres (e ainda por cima, a trabalhar cada vez mais e com menos direitos).

Mas qual liberdade? A dos carneiros que pastam obedientes, tão bem comportados todos juntos, aceitando a guarda dos lobos que usam os seus ossos para palitar os dentes.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dalaiama

Subserviência escolar

«Passive acceptance of the teacher's wisdom is easy to most boys and girls. It involves no effort of independent thought, and seems rational because the teacher knows more than his pupils; it is moreover the way to win the favour of the teacher unless he is a very exceptional man. Yet the habit of passive acceptance is a disastrous one in later life. It causes man to seek and to accept a leader, and to accept as a leader whoever is established in that position.»

Bertrand Russell

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dalaiama

Nas ruínas dos conceitos

Há espaços no tecido urbano ao alcance da fruição estética de todos. No entanto, esses espaços são considerados do domínio exclusivo de alguns: proprietários privados, empresariais, institucionais... Enfim, poucos reclamam para si a manipulação imperial do que pertence a todos.

Tantas vezes os olhos colectivos visitam lugares desprezados, maltratados, decadentes, esquecidos, sem que alguém lhes acrescente beleza e dignidade.

É neste contexto que surgem os stritartistas*.

Cidadãos inconformados, personalidades de modos honestos, verdadeiros artistas imbuídos de uma generosa noção do belo, tomam a iniciativa de investir do seu tempo, dinheiro e energia em prol do deleite da comunidade.

Fazem-no, diversas vezes sob condições árduas, em ambientes de escassez e sobranceria, combatendo a privação e a incompreensão.

Vencem por fim os desafios, com justiça, porque é soberana a missão de partilhar com o mundo o que os olhos pensam, a mente vê e a inteligência aprecia.

*street artists

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dalaiama

Doubt for sure

«The fundamental cause of trouble in the world today is that the stupid are cocksure, while the intelligent are full of doubt.»

Bertrand Russell

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dalaiama

Crew L

This is just to remember that Dalaiama is a proud member of multiple and multifunction Crew L!

Vale sempre a pena lembrarmo-nos de que Dalaiama faz parte da multígena e multidisciplinar Crew L!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dalaiama

No democracy

«Today the world is run by three of the most secretive institutions in the world: The International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the World Trade Organization, all three of which, in turn, are dominated by the U.S. Their decisions are made in secret. The people who head them are appointed behind closed doors. Nobody really knows anything about them, their politics, their beliefs, their intentions. Nobody elected them. Nobody said they could make decisions on our behalf.»

Arundhati Roy

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dalaiama

Downtown of Cascais

«In as few words as possible: We are anti-capitalist, anti-authoritarian and pro-graffiti.»

GATS (Graffiti Against the System)

The Harder They Come

«And I'll keep on fighting for the things I want

Cause I know that when you're dead you can't

But I'd rather be a free man in my grave

Than living as a puppet or a slave

So as sure as the sun will shine

I'm gonna get my share now, what's mine

And then the harder they come

The harder they fall one and all

The harder they come

The harder they fall one and all»

Jimmy Cliff

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dalaiama

Toalha de Mesa

Drawing at the restaurant.

Desenhando à hora da refeição.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dalaiama

Science and Imagination

«Science may set limits to knowledge,
but should not set limits to imagination.»

Bertrand Russell

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dalaiama