'In The Box' Project Transforms 12 Electrical Boxes into Urban Art in Barcelos

The fourth edition of the municipal project values public space and youth creativity with the theme 'Traditional Arts and Crafts of Barcelos'.

Generic image: in an urban context.
AI

Generic image: in an urban context.

The historic center of Barcelos has gained new urban art interventions with the 4th edition of the «In The Box» project, promoted by the Municipality of Barcelos, which challenges young people to transform electrical boxes into artistic expression supports.

In this edition, themed «Traditional Arts and Crafts of Barcelos», 12 boxes were transformed, distributed across four streets of the city. The initiative aims to enhance public space, promote youth creativity, and showcase the municipality's cultural identity.
The presentation of the works took place at the Casa da Juventude, with the presence of the councilor for the Department, Carlos Eduardo Reis. This was followed by a tour of the locations of the intervened boxes, allowing observation of the works in their urban context.
Carlos Eduardo Reis highlighted the importance of promoting initiatives that encourage youth participation in the municipality's cultural life and the development of their artistic talent. "This project demonstrates the importance of creating opportunities for our young people to showcase their talent, develop their artistic skills, and leave their mark on the city. In this edition, we also wanted to reinforce the connection to our roots, challenging participants to look at the traditional arts and crafts of Barcelos and reinterpret them through their creativity," he said.
This year's edition saw the registration of 26 young people, who submitted 33 proposals. 12 works were selected and realized on electrical boxes, interpreting the traditional arts and crafts of the municipality.
The selection of proposals was made by a jury composed of professor Artur Durão, artisan Eduardo Barbosa, and Manuel Pimenta, representative of the Associação de Artesãos do Galo.
The interventions are distributed along Rua da Palha (four boxes), Rua Barjona de Freitas and Largo da Porta Nova (three boxes each), and Rua Cândido dos Reis (two boxes), contributing to the visual enhancement of the historic center.
A partnership with the company SAGOB offers an additional prize of 250 euros to the intervention with the most votes on social media. Voting runs from October 20th to 25th, requiring a 'Like' on the Casa da Juventude and SAGOB pages, and on the photograph of the chosen box.
Based on information from the official source: Municipio de Barcelos (19/10/2026)