A censored country

During the period of dictatorship in Portugal, the country that was seen in the press, in books, in plays, on records, in films, and in so many other forms of expression, was far from corresponding to the one in which people lived.

Everything went through the censorship filter. In the historical memory of his work, there are blue lines that marked the passages, phrases or entire works whose publication was prohibited.

The blue pencil was, for 48 years, the instrument chosen by the censorship committee to shows, to restrict e delete any records that weakened the values ​​of the Estado Novo.

Images provided by Associação Cultural Ephemera.

A collective mural

In 2024, we transformed a symbol of oppression into a source of freedom and creativity.

The 50th Anniversary of April 25th Commemorative Commission, Gerador, the National Arts Plan and Viarco, the brand that manufactured the historic “Olímpico 291” pencil used by the censors, joined forces in the action “My freedom belongs to everyone”.

The initiative began with the creation of a special edition of the original blue pencil and with an invitation to anyone to participate in the construction of a collaborative mural.

Thousands of entries resulted from this appeal :-)

A trip through schools

We highlighted, among the youngest, the importance of free expression, collective movement and thinking that involves an entire community.

This initiative involved more than 10.000 students de more than 200 schools across the country, including autonomous regions.

Using the special edition of the blue pencil, the challenge was to paint freedom based on a square of paper the size of a traditional Portuguese tile.

The entries were then digitized and are now on display for all to see on the Freedom Wall.

Digital participations

We also opened up the possibility for anyone to participate digitally. Until May 2024, a digital tile was available that anyone, with no limits on participation, could fill in freely, using their mobile phone, tablet or computer, writing, drawing or scratching whatever they wanted.

The entries were immediately visible and are now among the thousands of tiles that make up the Mural da Liberdade.