Abstract

In this article, I study the development of Mouraria’s Mercado de Fusão in the context of what I term "Invented Difference"—a marketing strategy that capitalizes on a utopist multiculturalism that lacks historicity and continuity—as a means by which to unpack how twenty-first-century multicultural space is produced in Lisbon, a rapidly changing city with a booming tourist economy. Through this lens, I analyze the market’s visual and material landscape—specifically its sculptures and food kiosks—to bring together questions regarding the mobilization of multiculturalism in urban redevelopment while taking into consideration the legacy of race relations in Portugal’s neoliberal present. I assert that the Mercado de Fusão project speaks to the broader ideological implications of tourist-centric development initiatives in Lisbon.

Highlights

  • In this article, I study the development of Lisbon’s Mercado de Fusão in the context of what I term “invented difference”—a marketing strategy that capitalizes on a utopist multiculturalism that lacks historicity and continuity—as a means by which to unpack how twenty-first-century multicultural space is produced in Lisbon, a rapidly changing city with a booming tourist economy

  • My 2017 visit to the Praça Martim Moniz revealed significant turnover in the food stands that was not reflected on the NCS website

  • The Praça Martim Moniz was busier at its southernmost point, the opposite end from the Mercado de Fusão, where trees provided shade for passersby to take a break in the unseasonably warm heat

Read more

Summary

The Plaza as a Palimpsest

The Praça Martim Moniz, which houses the Mercado de Fusão, could be considered a “heritage palimpsest” that is, a site that “is landmarked repeatedly, each time for a different reason, and used for different purposes, even at one point in time” (Kirshenblatt-Gimblett 156). The Expo ’98 underscored a shift in Portuguese policy that coincided with growing involvement in world markets It included the rehabilitation of the Largo Martim Moniz through the construction of almost forty kiosks intended to “revitalizar economicamente o local a partir do desenvolvimento de um comércio de retalho especializado em artigos regionais, antiguidades e artesanato” (Menezes 310). When many kiosks were left vacant following the event, the Câmara Municipal made a deal with the Associação Comercial China Town to fill thirty stalls with electronics shops, all of which failed within months This move showcased the pre-crisis embrace of the neoliberal economic model through relationships forged between the government and foreign private interests. While the Mercado de Fusão presents multiculturalism as a novelty, it is essentially an old concept repackaged for contemporary consumption

Invented Difference in the Mercado de Fusão
Conclusions
Findings
Works Cited
Full Text
Paper version not known

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call