Inaugural event of the urban art piece “Magalhães Penguin” by Portuguese artist Bordalo II, featuring special guest performances by Pauliteiros Mirandeses de Palaçoulo (Portuguese stick dancers) and musical duo Luísa Amaro and Gonçalo Lopes.
The Portuguese participation at Expo 2020 Dubai has always considered the explorer Fernão de Magalhães, the 500 years of the First Circumnavigation and our relationship with the sea, as one of the most relevant stories to share. By “connecting” the world, generating a sea of new opportunities, Magalhães materialized, 500 years ago, the signature - “connecting minds, creating the future” of Expo 2020 Dubai. The installation of this art piece, made entirely from ocean plastics (collected from the seas of the countries covered by the circumnavigation), also addresses the plastic waste challenge – as we know the greatest threat to marine life.
The sculpture is signed by a young Portuguese artist, Artur Bordalo, who goes by the artistic name Bordalo II as a tribute to this grandfather, the painter Real Bordalo. Recognized worldwide for his artistic talent and critical conscience, Bordalo II is famous for using street garbage to create stunning animal sculptures, which aim to question the materialistic and consumerist nature of modern-day societies.
