javier de riba spray paints patterned tile floor in an abandoned 5-star hotel in portugal

javier de riba has spray painted a vibrant ’tile’ floor on the ground of an abandoned 5-star hotel in sete cidades — a municipality of são miguel in portugal. ‘monte palace’ was only open for one year before an unsuccessful foreign investment left the resort in disrepair. now, the enormous, disused site stands as a symbol for island inhabitants against overindulgence and excess.

invited by walk & talk azores, javier de riba — working alongside collaborators minuskula, maria sofia meirelles, and verónica belchior — has filled the abandoned hotel floor with an intricate blue and while tile pattern. spanning the ground area of a large interior atrium, the composition reflects traditional tiling motifs, blending floral symbols and shapes to form decorative ornamentation. the patterns take shape through the meticulous layering of colors, applied by a spray painting technique in a specific sequence over time.

photo by sara pinheiro

photo by sara pinheiro

photo by antónio carvalho e cunha

photo by sara pinheiro

photo by sara pinheiro

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