BOA MISTURA Poetry and Magic in São Paulo, Brasil

This month the street art collective Boamistura returned to the Favela of Vila Brasilandia, located in the northern outskirts of  São Paulo, in order to continue their project Luz Nas Vielas.
The project started in January 2012 when they painted a series of words strategically scattered in different alleys in the favela, known as “vielas”. In that occasion they wrote words like “Amor, Beleza, Orgulho, Doçura, Firmeza” (Love, pride, sweetness, beauty, strength) as part of the

According to the Spanish collective, they seek to synthesise the essence of Brasilândia. The strategy was simple: to simplify the spatial complexity of these alleys by the technique of anamorphosis in order to generate a single “canvas” on which to write a series of words that reflect the true everyday life of the favela. By collectively painting walls and floors with a unique colour they intentionally unite the neighbours of the street under a chromatic mantle, weaving new relationships between people.

Five years later, the collective is back adding two new words: “Poesía” and “Magica” (poetry and magic), highlighting the beauty of the irregular constructions, the magic of the spontaneous urban growth, the intensity of the relationships between neighbours and the smile of the kids playing up and down the stairs. The result is two beautiful installations that reflect both dreams and aspirations.

Mágica before the intervention. Photo © Boa Mistura

Creating Mágica. Photo © Boa Mistura

Poesia before the intervention. Photo © Boa Mistura