lisbon street artists transform the new smart forfour into a mobile canvas

lisbon street artists transform the new smart forfour into a mobile canvas
all images courtesy of broken bloke productions

the ‘one fine day in…’ film series sees the smart magazine crew stopping off at different cities around the globe, and meeting up with local groundbreaking creatives and innovators who are challenging and conquering the urban spaces they inhabit. previously on the streets of austin, barcelona and berlin, the smart magazine team continues its journey, taking the new smart forfour out for a spin on the historic streets of lisbon. while in the portuguese capital, smart magazine caught up with four urban activists, while driving along vasca da gama bridge, over the tejo river and soaking up the sites.

pro inline skater rodrigo braz teixeira in his element

sitting behind the wheel of the smart forfour, the crew first chased pro inline skater rodrigo braz teixeira through the cobbled streets of lisbon’s bairro alto area, watching him maneuver the city’s roads, stairs and handrails. while the 18-year old skates extensively in lisbon which he calls home, he knows it wasn’t made for skaters, with most activity involving him strapping on his eight rollers being prohibited. teixeira shares with smart magazine how being a skater, allows him to view lisbon, and any city for that matter, from an alternative perspective; and how he goes about discovering the best spots in his hometown to skate.

read the full smart magazine interview with pro inline skater rodrigo braz teixeira here.

the 18 year-old takes on lisbon as his skate playground
street artist kruella d’enfer and AKACORLEONE appropriate the smart forfour as their canvas

next, smart magazine drove over to the studio of two of the hottest names in portuguese street art: kruella d’enfer and AKACORLEONE. the duo elaborates on the mysticism of the lisbon street art scene, and distinguishes the distinct difference between street art / murals and graffiti. they also reveal why the city is a magnet for street art, and how this influx of creative activity has affected the atmosphere of the city visually and socially; and at the end, they take their wild ideas and vibrant color usage off the walls and to the smart forfour, resulting in a unique artwork.

read the full smart magazine interview with kruella d’enfer and AKACORLEONE here.

the artistic due apply their bold graphic style of the smart vehicle
the finished artwork

the tetris of shipping containers and scrapped double-decker buses that is village underground lisboa

the last stop smart magazine made was at the village underground lisboa, co-founded by mariana duarte silva. launched in 2014, the tetris of old shipping containers and scrapped double-decker buses seems more like a surrealist installation than the co-working space that it actually is. while the village underground lisboa is an incubator for new businesses and a creative hub for a mix of residents — from theater and cinema people, to designers and architects, but also lawyers and advertising agencies — it also serves as a venue for social events and parties. silva talks about lisbon’s establishment as a global creative city, and the positive energy that is buzzing in the air and fueling innovation.

read the full smart magazine interview with mariana duarte silva here.

village underground lisboa is a co-working space that houses a mix of residents
a old double-decker bus is transformed into a cafeteria for the residents

smart is more than just a car manufacturer. it is a concept, an idea for urban mobility, and its smart magazine (in both english and german) is a canvas for this notion. the online magazine is a place to share stories about visionaries and creative urbaneers, highlighting diverse projects and initiatives seek to help improve life in the city — from small to large scale.

smart magazine will continue to travelling across the globe in search of groundbreaking creatives and innovators who are looking to optimize and enhance life in our cities; supporting urban pioneers to take action through a crowd-driven initiative. stay tuned for more news on smart magazine, and follow stories and updates on both facebook and twitter.