SEN – clandestine talent

Whoever arrives in Olhão these days is greeted with a colourful “WELCOME!” literally shouting out from a wild graffiti - this one definitely ain’t the usual visual pollution. Further on, in the middle of the EN 125, there is another cheeky phrase “I MADE YOU LOOK!” in the middle of colourful dolls, and impossible to miss. These and many other works of street art bear the same 3-letter signature – SEN.

We found him in broad daylight - not hiding between spray cans in a dark alley as you might expect. He wears a t-shirt with the slogan: «graffiti bomber». He says he started painting in 1999 when he was just 12 years old - influenced by the first graffitis he saw being painted in Quarteira and Faro.

Due to the semi-clandestine activity that it is, graffiti has brought SEN innumerable problems with the law. He has been sent to the police station “thousands of times”, has paid fines, and tells how the police even shook the stepladder to make him fall while he was preparing to empty his paint cans on the wall of an old house. These days, “I paint in daylight”, he says.

The attitude of this young man renews the debate on this much-discussed controversial subject. Is graffiti artistic vandalism, or art-on-the-outside? Just as in other more socially accepted fields, it’s up to each of us to be conscious of what we are doing.

“My intention isn’t to destroy monuments or anything like that. I respect marble, glass and other people’s property. I respect everything, do you see? I only paint on abandoned houses, or walls facing the railway track. Nowadays, I try to do things that people like”, he says.

Each location is handpicked. The best are called “hotspots”. Sometimes it’s done legally – “It’s enough simply to ask the owner’s permission”, he explains as he shows us a document from a local factory with its stamp of approval. The signature of the owner is all it takes to appease the police. An example of local support are the dolphins he painted on a café near the fish dock - the owner’s choice.

SEN’s fame is such that his paintings have been requested by many - absolutely legally. Many families have asked him to paint their children’s and teenager’s bedrooms. Certainly a way to make a living - but he does it more for enjoyment than financial gain.

He’s even decorated a car showroom. “Actually our visitors come not just to look at the cars, but also to appreciate the art”, Lena Currito of the “Stand 1ª Circular” in Tavira told us. SEN’s also been invited to do some graffiti on the first floor of the new commercial centre «Ria Shopping».

One of the works SEN is most proud of is on the wall of a building in the neighbourhood - of the «Pink Panther», which he did in June.

“I spent two entire afternoons waiting to speak the mayor to ask permission. He wanted me to sketch what I planned to paint on paper, but I don’t like doing that”. The mayor’s request may appear trivial, but for a youngster used to taking risks, it’s a lesson in citizenship for all his friends.

He was eventually given permission, and together with his “crew” and invited guests, invested in the paint, and was supported by scaffolding – which involved the entire neighbourhood to erect. The result was such a success that locals wanted another painting on the building opposite!

Proud of works that brighten up Olhão, and of the many hours dedicated to his craft, SEN promises to continue painting wherever he’s allowed – as well as in other places where there’s space for this “clandestine talent”.

Is Graffiti a crime? What the law says.

According to Alexander Rathenau, lawyer and one of our newspaper’s legal consultant, graffiti constitutes, in some instances, a form of freedom of expression. However, it’s not an absolute right, and its execution cannot interfere with other constitutional rights, particularly those of property.

As such, it’s not legal to paint or decorate all or any part of a building - except those areas specially designated for that purpose.

From a legal point of view, whoever in part or entirely, destroys, damages, disfigures or makes unusable something belonging to others, is guilty of a crime punishable under article 212. ° of the Portuguese Penal Code.

A crime for damages is punishable with up to a three-year prison sentence or a heavy fine. In practical terms, the penal process depends on the complaint presented to the authorities.

“Yes to Grafitti, but in authorized places”, says Macário Correia.

We asked Macário Correia, president of the Algarve Municipalities Association (AMAL), mayor of Tavira and candidate for mayor of Faro, what he thinks about graffiti.

“It’s a phenomenon that worries me as in some cases it really gives the towns a bad image. However, a graffiti which is well done is a true work of art. Sometimes they are points of reference and deserve admiration, and are really artistic. Unfortunately in the majority of cases they are a symbol of vandalism and disrespect for private property”, he reflects.

When asked about the best strategy to deal with this problem, Macário Correia does not support repression. “I defend the idea that the authorities should provide walls on which these groups of youngsters can express themselves. For example, walls and buildings that have no relevant function, in areas where it will not cause any upset. I think the town councils could stimulate these budding graffiti artists to develop this form of art in appropriate places”, he concludes.

Railways – the main target?

In June 2008, the old and obsolete trains that circulate the Algarve were something of a target from those armed with spray cans and paints. According to SEN, in the world of graffiti, whoever manages to paint a train is highly respected. Unlike Lisbon however, where there is a veritable fleet of all types of suburban and underground trains to choose from, here the desire to paint is not just on the trains themselves. In the last few months, virtually all the stations and platforms from Vila Real de Santo António to Lagos have become unrecognisable! The stations that were once traditional white literally shine with all sorts of writing – a type of modern hieroglyphics. “It’s not just the Algarve, but the entire country”, laments Susana Abrantes, spokesperson for REFER. “It’s a social problem which greatly saddens us and is very regrettable”, she says. Not to mention the bad image which it gives the tourists. Abrantes considers that this is a serious problem throughout Europe.