Chapter Two

As visitors, residents, and citizens move underneath Lisbon, they encounter large-scale azulejo installations, such as the tiles at Intendente. First introduced by Maria Keil in the late 1950s, the azulejos in the Lisbon Metro represent a foundational public art initiative in Portugal and mark one of the earliest uses of contemporary azulejos in a major public space. Beginning with Intendente Station, Chapter Two examines the Lisbon Metro as a major site for the contemporary revival of the Portuguese azulejo and the development of a theory of public visual nationalism. The chapter then turns to two recent tile installations at Arroios and Pragal Station, each offering a distinct reinterpretation of the azulejo and its political dimensions. Finally, the chapter closes by analyzing Decreto-Lei n.º 96/2021, underscoring the significant role of legislation in funding and protecting azulejo works, and exploring its larger relevance to the proposed theory. Thus, the contemporary azulejo as public visual nationalism began underground.