Paint the town

By Dagmar Hoogland

The power of Colour. We know it, when we put on a bright red jumper on a rainy day or choose that one particular magazine on a shelf just because the colours jumped out. How much of a difference colour really makes is something that is constantly explored by the Dutch artists Haas&Hahn.

In 2006, this duo started developing the idea of creating community-driven art interventions in Brazil after they worked together on a documentary about hip hop in the favelas of Rio and São Paolo. Inspired by this visit, they embarked on a journey to bring outrageous works of art to unexpected places starting with painting enormous murals in the slums of Brazil together with the local youth.

The Favela Painting Project was born, a project that aims to transform communities into landmarks and inspirational monuments as a part of Rio’s image. 

The first piece was a 150m² mural of a boy flying a kite, took three months to complete and was painted collaborating with local youth, who were recruited through the Soldados Nunca Mais program of the Ibiss Foundation. This and the second painting, were made in Vila Cruzeiro, Rio’s most notorious slum on an enormous piece of concrete to protect the hills from mudslides. The artworks received worldwide acclaim and have become points of pride in the community and throughout Rio. The latest project, completed on March 29, is Praça Cantão and is located in the heart of Rio de Janeiro.

According to Dre Urhahn, one of the Favela Painting artists “This work of art can make a colorful difference in the lives of local individuals, the community and the city of Rio. It has the potential of working as a catalyst in the processes of social renewal and change”.

They now get support from the Firmeza Foundation and found a partner/ collaborator, Akzo Nobel, who supplies them with paint.

You can follow them on Facebook and twitter and see what their act of bright bursting colours and positive collaboration will be like. We love it.

why vivacity

This is the century of the city.

Over half the world’s population now live in cities. This is projected to rise to three-quarters of all people in 2050. With population increases, this means 6.75 billion of us will be city dwellers, an increase of 3.75 billion from today. As the future success or failure of mankind lies in cities, new ways of using them are needed.

The city represents an incredible paradox. We have never been closer together physically, but we have never been further away from each other emotionally. At vivacity we celebrate city movements around the world that change and re-define the way we interact with and use cities. Whilst cities cannot cope with the numbers now and the resultant strain on the world’s natural resources and eco-systems are already painfully evident, we believe that human spirit and endeavor will overcome, as it has done before.

vivacity promotes city movements that are connecting people & creating new types of communities. They are typically low impact, highly sociable, enabled by technology, using public and private spaces in new ways and empowering people to act locally.

vivacity promotes new ways of feeling alive, new ways of being invigorated, and new things to be a part of. We call it grassroots stuff in the city. We hope you get involved and share your experiences with us.

who we are

Andy Marks vivacity founder and editor

Social entrepreneur, lecturer, writer and curator, Andy Marks is an agent of positive social change practicing at the intersection or fault-line of business, society and culture. Andy is the founder of research and consultancy network Salad Worldwide, an advisor to some of the world’s leading companies on Corporate Responsibility and an advisor to a number of non-profit organizations. Andy is an expert on grass roots city movements, and a founding partner of an upcycling enterprise launching in 2010.

Julian Broadhead contributor

With a background in advertising, branding and corporate responsibility, Julian works with blue-chip companies from a wide range of industries and sectors, advising on strategy and new ways of connecting with people. He is currently developing a number of new opportunities in the environmental sector, with a particular emphasis on making environmental action more accessible.

Shane Solanki – contributor/distributor/carburettor/carbon-ara

Artist, writer, performer, producer and director, Shane’s first short film was commissioned by the BBC and directed by Peter Cattaneo. His first record was produced by Mercury Prize Winner Talvin Singh. He worked for years to forge the unique identity of independent record label Ninja Tune. We at Vivacity like to think of him as a grass roots detective, covertly operating under the pseudonym of the Last Mango in Paris; imagine him skulking around the world in a beige macintosh, recording and documenting our shift into a society where social responsibility and public creativity are norms.

contribute

become a vivacity scout

As more and more of us live in urban areas, individuals and communities can feel overwhelmed and isolated by the sheer intense-city of it all.

However we at vivacity believe that human spirit and endeavor will overcome as it has done so many times before. That is why we are celebrating movements around the world that are changing and re-defining the way we interact with the city. We would like to hear from you about grassroots movements or activities that bring people together face to face and use cities in new ways. The more original and imaginative the better.

Please email us describing a movement you would like to see on vivacity using a maximum of 300 words. info@vivacity.me