Remove, repaint or retouch: should the community decided? The case of the outdoor murals of the Riachos village, Portugal.

Abstract

This paper discusses the conservation of murals in Riachos, Portugal. Created in 2012 and 2016 by amateur painters in the context of a religious and ethnographic festival called “Benção do Gado”, a cattle-blessing event. The condition of these murals has deteriorated due to their outdoor location, poor choice of materials used and lack of maintenance. Those murals give meaning to the village, a sense of identity and uniqueness to the local community. These are the reasons why the community should be considered in the process of preservation. This study was conducted using mixed methods, with data gathered from a community survey, interviews with stakeholders and documentation of the current state of the murals. This research argues for a close relationship between conservators and the murals’ authors and the local population. The preservation project should create a balance between current ethical and scientific conservation practices and the voices of the community from whom those cultural manifestations belong, using them as part of the conservation process.