Graffiti in Brazil

Bernard

In Brazil, the graffiti scene is flourishing as never before. São Paulo is therefore seen as the new New York from the seventies, at that time the epicenter of the graffiti world. Continuous social inequalities and unemployment are considered to be the underlying causes for this revival.

Legalize it

The most important reason for legalization is the law 706/07, approved in March 2009, that made graffiti legal overnight. Since then, any building may be used for graffiti, as long as the owner granted permission. Brazil’s policy for art in public spaces sets an example the UK government should follow. Just imagine how graffiti could lighten up the scene on the streets in Banbury and Chipping Norton, even without subsidies, legislation, and expensive enforcement.

It really gives an extra dimension to wandering through a Brazilian city. Check out the most interesting graffiti I’ve encountered in Ilha de Santa Catarina, Belo Horizonte, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo.