Graffiti: São Paulo's Itaú Cultural exhibits street art
From the streets of the world to an exhibition space! Itaú Cultural institution in São Paulo presents an extraordinary showcase of art that emerged from public spaces and is easily accessible to the community. Titled "Beyond the Streets: Graffiti Stories," this exhibition offers an overview and historical perspective of urban art—street art—and graffiti.
Binho Ribeiro, an artist and the exhibition’s curator, remarks, "Among other major projects, I believe this was one of the greatest opportunities we had to showcase this culture. This exhibition signifies the recognition by a distinguished institution. As a curator and someone deeply involved in this artistic scene, I perceive it as part of an ongoing process, which has been evolving through various other exhibitions, such as the Graffiti Biennials."
Juliano Ferreira, the visual arts coordinator at Itaú Cultural, adds, "Engaging in a dialogue with the street and its output is something that has already occurred in other areas of the institution. We previously organized an exhibition focused on graffiti, albeit on a smaller scale. However, in revisiting this culture, we aim to provide a historical perspective on its production, its origins, and its influences. The challenge for this exhibition was to present a narrative approach to a relatively recent artistic movement."
Featuring 76 works by 51 graffiti artists and curated by Binho Ribeiro, a key figure in shaping this art form in Brazil, this free exhibition will run until July 30. Although the majority of the pieces are by Brazilian artists, the exhibition also includes works created by international artists such as T-Kid from New York, Farid Rueda from Mexico, Saturno from Spain, and the Chilean-Canadian artist Shalak Attack.
Graffiti represents an essential form of expression within urban spaces. Its roots can be traced back to ancient cave paintings and inscriptions, but it gained prominence through counterculture movements in the United States and France during the 1960s. Since then, it has become a global artistic and political expression adopted by young people, adorning public spaces and coloring the sometimes oppressive cityscapes.
Other expressions
Other artistic expressions fall under the umbrella of street art, including painting, performances, theater, and posters. Graffiti emerged as a form of protest, aspiring to be a democratic, independent, and accessible art movement.
During an interview with Agência Brasil, Binho recounts his introduction to urban art during his youth. "I have been drawing since I was a child. When I won a contest at the age of 12, I realized that I wanted to pursue art as a career. At 14, I began working at Galeria do Rock, a downtown São Paulo venue dedicated to rock music, where I produced photolithographs. During that time, I was also skateboarding and breakdancing, and that's when my connection with the world of graffiti developed," he reminisces.
Binho notes that information about graffiti was scarce in Brazil during those years. However, the country's exposure to the film Beat Street in the 1980s played a pivotal role in establishing graffiti as an art form. "This film introduced us to a different culture existing in the world, which was graffiti, and I fell in love with it. Since then, I have remained devoted to it," he emphasizes.
Among the artists showcased in the exhibition, seventeen created their works directly on the walls and other surfaces across the three floors of the building dedicated to the exhibition.
Itaú Cultural has dedicated each floor to a distinct theme within the realm of street art. On the first floor, visitors can explore a historical section that delves into the roots of this art form.
In the first basement (-1), the focus is on street art. Moving up to the second basement (-2), the exhibition shines a spotlight on hip-hop culture. Break dance presentations take place on this floor every Saturday.
Juliano Ferreira elaborates on the exhibition's approach, stating, "Our aim was not to create a display solely comprised of panels or murals. Instead, we wanted to construct a journey that allows visitors to immerse themselves in the history of street art, gain insights into its influences, and understand its contemporary landscape."
