LISBON (Reuters) – Portugal’s renowned street artist, Bordalo II, has staged a provocative protest ahead of Pope Francis’ upcoming visit to Lisbon, by breaking into a venue where the pontiff is set to celebrate a mass and unveiling a massive carpet adorned with oversized banknotes. The artist intends to criticize the exorbitant amount of money the state has allocated for the event.
Pope Francis will be traveling to Lisbon from August 2-6 to participate in the World Youth Day, an international gathering of young Catholics that is anticipated to draw hundreds of thousands of pilgrims.
Bordalo II, known for his politically-charged artworks created from discarded materials, has shared photos and videos showcasing the installation of the carpet, which features immense 500-euro ($551) notes cascading down the venue’s staircase. The artist describes this act as a “walk of shame”.
“At a time when many people are grappling to maintain their homes, jobs, and dignity, millions of public funds have been funneled into sponsoring the (papal) tour,” wrote Bordalo II, whose real name is Artur Bordalo, on Instagram.
In January, official estimates indicated that the event would cost 161 million euros, with contributions from the government, the Catholic Church, the Lisbon city council, and the neighboring city of Loures. The Portuguese government’s share of the expenses, initially reported as 30 million euros, has faced backlash from public figures and politicians, particularly as millions of Portuguese citizens contend with skyrocketing inflation.
Due to significant criticism earlier this year, the Lisbon city council was compelled to reduce its planned expenditure on an altar for Pope Francis’ mass, reducing the budget from over 5 million euros to 2.9 million euros.
In response to Bordalo II’s protest, Lisbon Mayor Carlos Moedas acknowledged that the artist is using his voice to express concerns and stated that such demonstrations are customary during events of this nature.
($1 = 0.9071 euro)
(Reporting by Catarina Demony; Editing by Andrei Khalip and Richard Chang)
Credit: The Star : News Feed
