LSN : Seed : Favela chic: Artists give slums a brighter

FAVELA CHIC: ARTISTS GIVE
SLUMS A BRIGHTER FUTURE
By Max Reyner and Philip Gamble
24 : 05 : 2010
Favela : Rio : Rio De Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro – An art-driven renewal programme is giving some of the city’s most notorious favelas a colourful
makeover. The Favela Painting project by Dutch artists Haas & Hahn is helping to improve slums such as Vila
Cruzeiro and O Morro by covering the façades of buildings with a rainbow of colours.
‘These works of art can make a colourful difference to the lives of local people, the community and the city of Rio,’
says Dre Urhahn, a favela project painter. ‘It has the potential to act as a catalyst for social renewal and change.’
In addition, many of the painters themselves have been selected from the local communities and trained through
apprenticeship programmes, creating a sustained pool of skills locally.
From favelas to urban villages, individuals in local communities are increasingly seeking guidance from brands as
they try to navigate the Turbulent Teens period . What better time for brands to take a stand and behave as civic
leaders?
Seed
Page 1 of 1