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O Gringo April 25: Two Paths, One Freedom
01/10/2026
O Gringo brings Portugal and Italy together in an artwork about memory, resistance and democracy
Two nations in Southern Europe. Two different historical experiences. One date dedicated to freedom.
In his new original artwork, MARE LIBERUM: SORELLA LIBERTÀ - April 25: Two Paths, One Freedom, contemporary artist O Gringo, the artistic name of Bastien Tomasini, brings Portugal and Italy together through a historical connection of extraordinary symbolic power.
At the centre of the composition, two female figures shown in profile represent the two nations. A line crosses the image, separating their historical paths while simultaneously bringing them together within a single visual narrative.
On one side stands Portugal and the Carnation Revolution of 25 April 1974. On the other stands Italy and the Festa della Liberazione, commemorating 25 April 1945.
The work does not suggest that these two historical events were identical. They emerged from profoundly different political and military circumstances. What the artwork reveals is the principle that connects them: the fall of dictatorships, the recovery of collective dignity and the opening of a democratic future.
Portugal: the Carnation and the End of the Estado Novo
In Portugal, 25 April 1974 began with a military operation led by the Armed Forces Movement, known as the MFA, and rapidly developed into a popular movement of extraordinary importance.
The revolution ended the authoritarian Estado Novo regime, opened the way for the democratisation of the country and contributed decisively to the conclusion of the Portuguese Colonial War.
The red carnation became its universal symbol. Placed inside the barrels of rifles, a delicate flower was transformed into an image of courage, hope and political change.
In O Gringo's artwork, the Portuguese figure is crossed by red and green, references to the tradition of Portuguese azulejos and the memory of Grândola, Vila Morena, the song used as one of the radio signals for the military operation.
The presence of the azulejo is not simply decorative. For centuries, Portuguese tile panels have preserved religious, political, maritime and popular narratives. O Gringo returns to this historical function, once again transforming the azulejo into a medium through which a story can be told.
Italy: the Liberazione and the Fall of Nazi-Fascism
In Italy, 25 April commemorates the general uprising proclaimed in 1945 by the National Liberation Committee for Northern Italy against Nazi occupation and the Fascist regime.
The actions of the Partisans, together with the advance of the Allied forces, proved decisive in the liberation of the major cities of Northern Italy and the definitive collapse of Fascism.
The date became the Festa della Liberazione, a fundamental moment in Italian democratic identity and in the historical process that led to the institutional referendum of 1946, the birth of the Italian Republic and the Constitution of 1948.
In O Gringo's composition, the Italian figure enters into dialogue with the tradition of the country's great female allegories and with the Stella d'Italia, one of Italy's oldest national symbols.
The red poppy is not presented as an official emblem of the Italian Resistance. Within the artwork, it serves a poetic purpose, evoking memory, sacrifice, the wounds of war and the return of life after destruction.
The inscriptions 25 APRILE 1945, LIBERAZIONE, LIBERTÀ and PARTIGIANI are integrated into the figure. They are not merely graphic elements, but fragments of history carried upon the body and memory of Italy.
Two Figures Separated by History and United by Freedom
The two female figures face different horizons. Each preserves her identity, colours, symbols and individual historical experience.
A visible division exists between them. Yet this line does not function as an absolute border.
Instead, the centre of the composition becomes a point of encounter. Portugal and Italy are not merged into an artificial or simplified history. They remain distinct while recognising one another through a shared aspiration.
Above the figures appears a star resembling a compass. Its light does not belong exclusively to Portugal or Italy. It is a shared star, announcing the same democratic dawn.
This element expresses one of the central ideas of the artwork: freedom may be reached through different paths, but it always requires courage, memory and responsibility.
The Sea as a Connection Between Portugal and Italy
The title MARE LIBERUM presents the sea not as a barrier, but as a space of circulation and encounter.
The Portuguese Atlantic and the Italian Mediterranean belong to histories marked by journeys, cultural exchanges, migration, conflict and political transformation.
Beside the Latin expression, SORELLA LIBERTÀ - "Sister Liberty" - gives freedom a human presence. Liberty becomes a shared inheritance that brings the two nations together, but also a responsibility that must be protected by every generation.
The artwork does not present democracy as an automatic or irreversible achievement. On the contrary, it reminds us that freedom depends upon the memory of those who fought for it and the responsibility of those who inherit it.
History as an Artistic Material
Historical research occupies a central place in O Gringo's artistic practice.
Before creating, the artist studies events, documents, places, symbols and historical figures. History is not used merely as a backdrop. It becomes both visual and conceptual material.
This relationship was present in his solo exhibition Hope Beyond the Horizon, presented at the National Tile Museum in Lisbon. Created specifically for the museum, the exhibition brought together photography, digital art, Portuguese azulejos, fado and narrative.
It can also be found in the artist's works dedicated to Marianne, the personification of the French Republic, and in projects through which O Gringo connects heritage, collective memory and contemporary artistic language.
In April 25: Two Paths, One Freedom, this research acquires a new European dimension. The artist places Portugal and Italy face to face and considers how two countries, through different experiences, transformed the same date into a national celebration of freedom.
An Original 160 × 100 cm Artwork in Lisbon
The original artwork measures 160 × 100 cm and reflects the Hybrid Mixed Media language developed by O Gringo, in which photography, pictorial intervention, digital composition, contemporary materials and references to Portuguese azulejos coexist within a unique visual construction.
Its scale allows viewers to experience both the strength of the two monumental figures and the work's individual details: flowers, historical inscriptions, national colours, lines, textures and the central guiding star.
From a distance, the artwork presents two commanding female presences. Seen more closely, it reveals fragments, words and symbols that invite viewers to reconstruct the histories of both countries.
The Original Artwork Is Available at La Smart Galerie
The original MARE LIBERUM: SORELLA LIBERTÀ - April 25: Two Paths, One Freedom is now available at La Smart Galerie, located in the heart of LX Factory in Lisbon.
Collectors, curators, cultural institutions, diplomatic representatives and visitors are invited to discover the work in person and observe its materials, textures and historical details at close range.
More than a representation of two national events, this creation by O Gringo reflects upon what Portugal and Italy share: the memory of resistance, the rejection of oppression and the decision to construct the future through freedom and democracy.
Two histories.
Two paths.
One date.
One freedom shared by all.
Visit and Contact the Gallery
La Smart Galerie - LX Factory
Rua Rodrigues de Faria, 103
1300-501 Lisbon, Portugal
Telephone and WhatsApp: +351 937 134 669
Email: smartgalerie@paris75image.com