The atrium of the Colombo Shopping Mall in Lisbon was transformed into a temporary exhibition space by the Portuguese practice of LIKE architects earlier this year. The 75 sqm. space was created from 1500 metal paint cans to house ‘Andy Warhol Icons/Psaier Artworks and The Factory’, an exhibition of 32 original pieces by the iconic artist.
In a maze like space of four interconnected ‘rooms’ the collection was arranged thematically, aptly displayed on the walls of shiny tin cans. With openings on both ends of the space, shoppers were drawn to investigate the temporary installation which was visible throughout the various levels of the Mall and generated an amount of interest in its own right.
The chosen material of tin cans referenced the obsession Warhol held with objects not previously linked with art, including common household items as in his Campbell Soup Can piece. The upgrading of a functional item to a work of art typified the Pop Art culture and reflected the newly emerging world of the consumer society of the era. The temporary exhibition space remained in situ for a three month period from April 11th to July 11th 2013.
