Urban Planning is a soaring and shiny term hinting at civic consideration that is sometimes employed in the sales mix by regal real estate developers and audacious architects eager to win approval for new projects in the modern city. Sustainable Development and Urban Renewal, somewhat less glamorous and less sexy for press conferences, actually take into account the needs of all citizenry and are the province of a thankless few policy wonks taking the long view of a liveable city.
In parts of cities that suffer from decay and lack of investment, adapting urban renewal initiatives can incorporate abandoned housing stock and match it with the needs of a population, strengthening and enriching a city at a foundational level. For a number of years Street Artists in the slums of São Paulo have used their art on the street to draw attention to the plight of people they feel are overlooked and ignored when urban plans are being laid.
In this brief video, Street Artist Mundano draws our attention to an abandoned hotel in São Paulo that is home to hundreds of families who, although at risk in decaying conditions, consider it a welcome alternative to being homeless. The video, directed by Rodrigo Piza Levy is a simple statement by artists whose eyes are open, punctuated by beautiful children and all they represent.
Two years after his first exhibit, Brazilian Street Artist Apolo Torres returns to Verbo gallery in Sao Paulo for a show Thursday called TEMPESTADE (or Storm), with a collection of paintings from his most recent studio work, as well as drawings and prints on paper.
Apolo Torres “Coexistencia” (detail)
At a good moment in his career, Apolo participated in important group exhibitions and partnerships over the last couple of years, leading him recently to a gig making the art for songwriter Rodrigo Ramos’ debut record.
The contemporary works for this show show sensitive approach to the life in big cities; in a questioning, poetic way that focus on environmental and political problems such as the recent floods in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.
Behind the aesthetics is a criticism of poor urban planning and overpopulation along with a tribute to the people who get on with their lives and their routine in spite of these problems.
Two years after his first exhibit, Brazilian Street Artist Apolo Torres returns to Verbo gallery in Sao Paulo for a show called TEMPESTADE (meaning Storm), with a collection of paintings from his most recent production, as well as drawings and prints on paper.
At a good moment in his career, Apolo participated in important group exhibitions and partnerships over the last couple of years, leading him recently to a gig making the art for songwriter Rodrigo Ramos’ debut record.
The contemporary works for this show show sensitive approach to the life in big cities; in a questioning, poetic way that focus on environmental and political problems such as the recent floods in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Behind the aesthetics is a criticism of poor urban planning and overpopulation along with a tribute to the people who get on with their lives and their routine in spite of these problems.
Last week we told you about the work of Mundano, a Brazilian street artist who recently was in a show in Brooklyn.
We were so enamored with the idea of another BKLYN, as cheesy as that may sound to you, that we wanted to know more about our cousin on the Tropic of Capricorn. So we started asking Mundano what it’s like there, how’s it similar, how’s it different, and what about the street art there.
This week Mundano comes back to talk to us about his neighborhood in the largest city in Brazil, São Paulo. Before he get’s going lemme tell you that according to my very professional online research — NYC sold São Paulo some old trolley cars in the 1930’s for the city’s rail system. And guess what name was emblazoned across the front of the front car? Brooklyn. So people started calling the neighborhood at the end of the trolley line by that name! I don’t know how accurate this is, but it sounds good.
And now, onto our guest to talk about similarities and differences between the two BK’s.
Sit down and get ready for some skooling! Oh, you already are sitting down.
Below is Mundano’s article about Brooklin & Brooklyn;
The Brazilian Brooklin was named after the American Brooklyn but ours is spelled with an “i”. The neighborhood here is mostly residential, but in the last 10 years the area has grown really fast, and now it’s also got a big financial center with high modern office buildings.
A view of the Brooklin favela in the foreground in the shadow of the skyscrapers next door. (image Mundano)
One signal of this fast growth is that the goverment is kicking our favela (slum) that was here before to another place. Basically they are trying to “clean up” the area – as if moving the poorest people to a different area was a real solution to the problem.
(image Mundano)
The similarities between both of the BKs are that they both have a river and a great bridge that goes across it and both have a great deal of street art.
The bridge called Ponte Octavio Frias de Oliveira in Sao Paulo
The differences of the street art scene here and there is that here we have the “pixaçao” which is really aggressive and fast writing, so the population started to see graffiti as a solution for that. photo credit: Brocco Lee
Here is a picture with a style of graffiti called “Pixação”
Because of that you can get authorized walls to paint on. Also, here we use much more housepaint than spray, because of the expensive price of a spray can.
Other thing is that here we have different references of culture so in a neighborhood like Brooklin you can see a great variety of grafitti styles, but here the “street law” is don’t paint over another graffiti or pixação.
This is an example of conversations on the street between graff writers in Brooklyn (image Mundano)
On the other hand, the NY Brooklyn has a lot of things that we don’t see here, like lots of tags and bombs on cars, the interaction between the artists on the streets.
Skewville makes a commentary on a piece by Elbow Toe (photo Jaime Rojo)
Also there are a lot of paste-ups and 3-D installations in Brooklyn. That is rare here.
And here Mundano speaks about his video:
This is my first timelapse video and the idea started in a bar table with some friends one day before the action. I really like how it came out because its possible to see the entire process and also the people walking there, the cars and all.
I painted the lips with a big brush and housepaint and all the rest was painted with spray paint. The gate is near by the end of the Av. Paulista, the most well known avenue of São Paulo. I´m really happy that my creature is still there watching the people and the problems of the city, and also turning the streets more colorful!
>>>> >>>>> > > >>> >
Thank you to Mundano for taking the time and making the effort to educate his Brooklyn peeps about his neighborhood called Brooklin. A special thank you to his girlfriend Camila, who helped with the text translation, and who also appears in the video.
And guess what? That’s right homie-lera, they have street art.
But that should not be a huge revelation to you by now.
Like my barber Pedro Fantilipaz says, “Street Art eees all ovah tha wooorrrrrl!”
Mundano, a street artist from the other BK, makes monster-type faces, and elongated forms using fat caps and thin ones, a smooth hand, and a playful eye. They are extreeeeeme closeups with flaring nostrils, big frowny lips, and ever-searching eyes. Sometimes 4 eyes, sometimes more.
“Líquen Vermelho” / “Red lichen” by Mundano at Factory Fresh (photo Steven P. Harrington)
Mundano was here in July doing a show with two other Brazilians, Loro Vez and Apollo Torez, where they installed a show at Factory Fresh Gallery, called “Lichen”. Add these three dudes to the two Os Gemeos, and this summer it was like the Brasil World Cup of aerossolistas right here in Nova Lorque!
“You Are a Slave of Consumption” – a bit of wisdom for the birds.(Mundano) (photo by Mike Ion)
Back home he makes many creatures everywhere, and he writes slogans and messages that harshly question the policies of the government regarding social policy. It was no surprise to see him muster enough English to make an observation about our materialistic society on one of his pieces here.
Mundano’s recreation of a cart commonly used by recyclers on foot in Brooklin. (photo courtesy Factory Fresh)
Right in the middle of the gallery in Bushwick, Mundano had installed a cart that was a facsimile of a cart (or “carroceiro”) that is commonly used in his town for people to gather discarded items and materials for recycling, an appreciable business there. While they were trolling our streets in a van looking for stuff to stock their gallery carroceiro, Mundano and his buddies were pretty shocked to find that here people throw out perfectly good stuff!
Keep your eyes open – This one is on lockdown in Brooklyn (Mundano)
Yeah, I know that for sure, because that was my first apartment; one man’s broken Barcalounger is another man’s throne. Most college students and newly arrived immigrants in New York can easily furnish their entire apartments from discarded furniture and other stuff that people drag to the curb. Even so, Mundano’s wild-eyed surprise and shock at how wasteful we are was an eye-opener for me too.
(Mundano) (photo Mike Ion)
Now Mundano’s back in Brooklin and making new stuff there, where people have a different approach to his art on the street. He had a great time here and got to put up some entertaining pieces while staying in New York and he’s looking forward to his next visit, “I really liked New York, and I will be back for sure.”
Is Smoking Relaxing? Mundano made a Musico puffing on a cigarro next to this anti-smoking ad in Brooklyn. (Mundano) (photo Mike Ion)
BROOKLYN STREET ART LOVES YOU MORE EVERY DAY
