The recent installation of ‘Provoc’ by Bordalo II at Praça Duque da Terceira in Cais do Sodré, which the Lisbon City Council (CML) stated had damaged the traditional Portuguese pavement, has intensified the controversy surrounding the depiction of the housing crisis. Artur Bordalo is currently accused of plagiarizing a project created by an artist in 2023 titled ‘Lisbonopoly: The Housing Crisis Game’.
The work by Mafalda, also known as Fartadaa, was showcased at the Prisma Estúdio association, aiming to shed light on Lisbon’s housing crisis through a satirical adaptation of the Monopoly game, according to the organization’s website.
“The project was inspired by a report revealing the staggering number of vacant houses in Lisbon – nearly 48,000 – with the city’s government expressing a desire to ‘invite the owners to join the game.’ The artist behind ‘Lisbonopoly’ perceived this as a real-life game, illustrating how those in power often fail to grasp the issue’s gravity, leaving ordinary, impoverished people unable to compete. Through an interactive game entirely made of recycled materials, she highlights the housing crisis’s connections to issues like wages, taxes, and other circumstances,” the association explained.
Following the distribution of ‘Provoc’, online commentators quickly noted the similarities between the pieces, accusing Bordalo II of “blatantly copying the work of another Portuguese artist.”
“It’s very sad when more famous artists steal others’ work. Fartadaa had done this work two years ago. Brazenly stolen,” commented another user.
Mafalda acknowledged that using the board game format to address the housing crisis isn’t new, yet noted that Bordalo II had praised her project both publicly and privately. He mentioned he had a similar idea but would refrain from pursuing it out of respect.
“What I find wrong here is his attitude as a renowned artist. Instead of offering a hand and asking if I wanted to collaborate or mention my name in some way, he chose to proceed without consideration,” she stated to SIC Notícias.
The artist’s team denied any resemblance between the projects to the television channel, highlighting that others, like Banksy, have similarly treated the topic.
Indeed, Bordalo II shared a screenshot on Tuesday of a piece Banksy offered to the Occupy London movement in 2011, depicting the Monopoly mascot, ‘Rich Uncle Pennybags,’ with an outstretched top hat, asking for money.
“True inspiration since 2011,” he remarked.
Notícias ao Minuto reached out to the artists for comments but had not received a response as of this article’s publication.
© Bordalo II
