By Maria Paz Montero
'Luz nas vielas' or Light in the streets
Luz nas vielas (Light in the Streets) is the name of the project by the Spanish collective BoaMistura, which comes from the Portuguese for "good mixture,” and is one of the winners of the Videourbana Competition, a contest done by the VIII Ibero-American Architecture and Urbanism Design Biennial. The project consists of urban interventions of several walls and alleys in the Brasilândia favela in Sao Paulo, Brazil, during January 2012. For about 15 days the group worked and painted inspirational words on walls covered by cement, brick and rusty pipes. The walls were painted in bold colors with the words "Love," "Beauty," "Sweetness," "Firmness," and "Pride," five attributes that define the charm of Brazil and its humbler corners. As art with a social mission, the involvement and participation of residents in the development of the murals was decisive and had an important impact on the work. The idea that there could be change in an environment of poverty and social inequality comes to be put to the test; there might actually be a change and a transformation.Looking around, the walls are filled with colors, the community is transformed, and the old perspective changes into one that is more positive and enlightening. The objective of this group’s work is to use art as a tool for change and as a medium for inspiration.
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Transforming Cityscapes: Winning Entries of the 8th Ibero-American Architecture and Urban Design Biennial
On View: January 30-March 16, 2014
The OAS AMA | Art Museum of the Americas, SPAIN arts & culture, and the Permanent Observer Mission of Spain to the OAS present Transforming Cityscapes: Winning Entries of the 8th Ibero-American Architecture and Urban Design Biennial (IAUB). This exhibition reflects AMA’s mission to promote creative and talented artists and designers of OAS member and observer countries while facilitating and supporting programs and partnerships that strengthen connections among Ibero-American countries and representing the latest in artistic trends.
The IAUB focuses on lifetime achievements, outstanding works of architecture, publications, research projects and ideas presented by architects and architecture students. Every two years, a jury of representatives from each field selects the best projects, comparing and contrasting various architectural and urban design initiatives in the countries that comprise the Ibero-American community. The exhibition includes architectural and urban planning projects, publications, research, proposals and videos from 2009-11.
Videourbana is the video project component of the biennial.
