SP, capital of urban art
São Paulo is, among other things, the cultural capital of Brazil: not only for its hundreds of museums, cinemas , stages, cultural centers and leisure spaces , but also for being an open museum of urban art . In the midst of the hurried routine and chaotic traffic, it is possible to see examples of what is called urban art . everywhere. From graffiti by famous artists to unknown artists who stand out for their creativity, to sticker and poster murals that you have certainly seen, the walls of São Paulo are a space for expression for all tastes.
We are passionate about this city, especially downtown São Paulo - which was once considered one of the best neighborhoods in the world! In this text, you can also learn about the benefits of living downtown . All this culture on the streets proves that downtown is an open museum of urban art in São Paulo, and it is just one more thing that fuels this passion: street art does not need time, space, or recognition to happen, it only needs the street. It is a free expression, which is why it happens in the most diverse places, often by anonymous artists.
We have selected some examples of what makes the city considered an open museum of urban art, and some examples of what you can see on the streets of the city, decorating the daily commutes of millions of people. Whether you are from São Paulo or not, have you ever stopped to notice some of these famous works?
1. Eduardo Kobra
Kobra is certainly one of the best-known artists when it comes to urban art and graffiti - and this is not only true in Brazil, but worldwide. He has painted panels on all five continents, but it is in São Paulo, his hometown, that he works most actively - to the point of making the city of São Paulo known internationally for its street art. He has two characteristics that set him apart from other artists: first, his trajectory from tagger to graffiti artist, visual artist and currently, “muralist” - which is how he defines himself. Second, his style with geometric shapes and vibrant colors, unmistakable - you have probably seen one of his works, even if you don't know his name.
2. Luis Bueno - The kissing Pele
This is another image that you've seen in graffiti on the streets of São Paulo – and that has also become known worldwide as urban art. The work is by designer and street artist Luís Bueno, who started the lambe-lambe series (a printing and collage technique widely used in advertising billboards and posters) over ten years ago. The inspiration came from a photo of Pelé hugging Muhammad Ali in 1977, in the United States: the artist realized the possibility of fitting several characters into the embrace of one of the greatest symbols of Brazilian culture.
The success was so great that today the formula of Pelé kissing someone is copied by many other artists – but that is precisely the trick of street art: placing a work in a public space, in the middle of people's path, so that those who have never been to a museum can also see a work of art. Fame (or anonymity) is just another detail.
3. Earthworm
The Minhocão (officially known as Elevado Presidente João Goulart) is the best example of an open-air urban art museum in São Paulo. It is a great example of how the spaces in downtown São Paulo are used in many ways by many different people, and where graffiti and urban art are prominent. The 3 km expressway connects Praça Roosevelt to Parque da Água da Branca in Barra Funda, and is an important east-west corridor in the city of São Paulo – during business hours. From 8 pm to 7 am and on weekends, the road is closed to cars and becomes an open-air cultural corridor, much like what happens on Avenida Paulista. The lower part of the structure serves as a shelter for much of the city's homeless population – and also serves as a canvas for many graffiti and street posters .
Since street art is ephemeral by nature, many works come and go: some are erased by the passage of time, others are painted over to make way for other artists. In any case, some graffiti murals stand out along the Minhocão route: Nina, by graffiti artist Apolo Torres , can be seen right at the entrance to the elevated road, in Praça Roosevelt. The works of Felipe Morozini and Paulo Cesar Silva (known as Speto ) are also noteworthy – but the entire route is filled with murals by famous and anonymous artists, and is certainly worth a visit on the weekends.
4. The Open Museum of Urban Art of São Paulo (MAAU-SP)
This is the first open-air urban art museum in São Paulo and, according to the organizers, it is also the first in the world. There are 66 graffiti panels installed on the columns that support the subway tracks on Cruzeiro do Sul Avenue, in the North Zone of São Paulo – a place considered the birthplace of São Paulo graffiti in the 1980s.
It all started when a group of eleven graffiti artists were arrested at the site for not having legal authorization from the São Paulo Metro to paint the columns. At the police station, Binho Ribeiro and Chivitz (currently curators of MAAU-SP) drafted a project that was presented to the State Department of Culture and the president of the Metro. Months later, the project was approved and the Metro even provided the paint for the 58 participating artists to paint the urban art panels. The museum was opened in 2011 and remains open to visitors, illustrating how street artists are sometimes treated as outsiders because of their work.
5. Senator Queirós Avenue – Mundano
Thiago Leite (better known as Mundano) has stood out as one of the leading exponents of contemporary urban art in Brazil. The artist from São Paulo seeks to draw attention to political and environmental issues through graffiti: with an extremely attentive eye for social issues in a city like São Paulo and an extremely refined sense of humor, his works have been exhibited in several countries and he has even given lectures at the UN.
In 2012, he started the “Pimp my cart” movement, where he graffitied the carts of recyclable waste collectors in an attempt to restore these workers’ self-esteem. Since then, the work has received support from more than 1,900 volunteers in 39 cities and 8 countries. According to the artist: “if we paint all the carts in São Paulo, we will open the largest traveling art exhibition in the world, for a population that, for the most part, does not visit museums or galleries.”
On Avenida Senador Queirós, near the Municipal Market, the artist recently painted a reinterpretation of Tarsila do Amaral's painting “Os Operários” in graphite – using the toxic mud from the disaster in Brumadinho as paint.
6. Prestes Maia Avenue - Daniel Melim
Daniel Melim 's mural has become an icon of urban art in the city of São Paulo – one of those must-have photos for anyone visiting the city. The artist's graffiti depicts various social clichés and stereotypical characters, forming a visual repertoire that dialogues with many of our cultural references and provokes interesting reflections.
It can be seen on Avenida Prestes Maia, in front of the Pinacoteca: a place that, when it comes to cultural itineraries in São Paulo, should certainly be on any list: the museum is considered the best cultural institution in the country.
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