Grafite baiano é exibido na Europa

Cultural Exchange in Europe

May 2008

A group of artists from Bahia participate on a cultural Exchange in Europe, scenario of beautiful landscapes, museums, cathedral, monuments, touristic and historical places.

Invited by the president of the Instituto Cultural Brasil Itália Europa (ICBIE), the journalist Pietro Galina, a group of artists from Bahia, composed by graffitists and other people involved in street art, has recently returned from Europe, bringing with them news, knowledge and a lot of experience. The itinerary included a meeting agenda, talks and drawings (graffiti) in Paris and Marseille (France), Limburg and Frankfurt (Germany), Barcelona (Spain) and Rome (Italy). The exchange also served to divulge the Grafita Project, of the Municipal City Hall of Salvador, considered pioneer in Brazil.

Participated of the visit to Europe, invited by ICBIE, the coordinator of Grafita Project and superintendent of Parks and Gardens of the Municipal City Hall, Edvandro Castro Pinto (Tucunaré), the graffitists Lee 27 (Josenildo Silva), Pinel (Jackson Barbosa) and the artist and graffitist Júlio Costa, as well as the photographer, public relations manager and street art researcher José Paranaguá.

Contagious Emotion

During the trip, certain moments were very significant, such as the meeting with the graffitist M.A.C. Crew, when painting a panel at Bagnolet, in Paris. “Paint together with the graffitists Kongo, Lazoo 1, Juan, Gilbert, Merri, of the old European School, was very moving to all of us”, said Pinel. For Lee 27, it was an unforgettable moment. In Frankfurt (Germany), the artists from Bahia also had the opportunity to paint at the “Hall of Fame”, with the German graffitists Senkone and Imezone. “It is very important for us see our work as part of this scenario with famous graffitists of various parts of the world”, said the artist Júlio Costa.

At the Centre the Communication/Graphical Design School in Paris, the group spoke for a class of Publicity students about their experience with street art and the Salvador Grafita Project, divulging the project’s catalogue. In Marseille, the group met other Brazilians involved in street art. In Limburg, Germany, the professor and artist Renate Kuby, president of Lahn Artists, organized a performance in class with the artists from Bahia. Afterwards, they did graffiti at a van belonging to a member of the association. In Barcelona, two drawings were made at the Live Painting of the Cultural Center Hospel Art Shaping Your Ideas, one with participation of the Spanish graffitist Shan. In Italy, the graffiti were made in boards of plywood, with interaction with the students from the American School of Rome.