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An Explosion of Colour Instead of Dull Grey Concrete

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Photo Gallery of the Street Art bienal design 2015 Project in Florianópolis, Brazil

This post is special. For us it’s not the norm to publish two unrelated street art posts, one after the other. Nor have we ever before published a whole gallery showing only one single street art project!

As with most street art we came to this one by pure chance. Funnily enough: we got lost driving around Ilha Santa Catarina, the island of Florianópolis. [Yes, Yasha always likes to say “We’re not lost – we have nowhere we have to be.” I like to disagree.] On that day we wanted to go to the south of the island, but we missed a turn due to road works and were heading north towards the city centre of Florianópolis instead.

Once I realised our mistake, I reset our GPS and had to do a U-turn a few hundred metres down the highway at a specially built turning bay. On our way back in the right direction we came to an overpass. Yasha noticed the street art below and pointed it out to me. Immediately, I looked for a way to get off the highway to stop and take photos.

As soon as I parked Berta and looked at the wall, I realised that we had found something special. This isn’t a small street art object – this is an extensive work in very vivid colours, stretching over more than hundred metres.

This is the *full* street art wall on this overpass in Florianópolis. Of course, on this scale details blur fairly quickly.

This is the *full* street art wall on this overpass in Florianópolis. Of course, on this scale details blur fairly quickly.


This is part of the street art wall - it gives a bit better impression.

This is part of the street art wall – it gives a bit better impression.


And again, a narrower angle shot of the same wall - now you can make out more elements of this amazing street art project!

And again, a narrower angle shot of the same wall – now you can make out more elements of this amazing street art project!

Within it you see what appear to be normal tags next to exquisite motifs of similar size – countless individual pieces flowing into each other to form one giant explosion of bright colours. Yet, at the same time, some sections stand out due to their very individual style.
Click thumbnails below for a larger images!
I will show most of the street art on the entire east wall of the overpass. This is the first section from the left. This is the second section from the left. This is the third section from the left. This is the fourth section from the left. Note how the fish on top is partly in one colour scheme (red orange on the left), partly in the blue colour scheme on the tail end of it (on the right). This is the fifth section from the left. If you look closely you will see that the woman's top has a fine pattern in it. This is the sixth section from the left. And the seventh section from the left (~ the middle). I don't get the skull shaped spray paint can... The eighth section from the left: what appear to be simple tags also have more depth to them. This is true for almost all of them. Section nine (from the left) is rather unique - and probably the funniest, once you notice all the detail. Section 10: another 'tag' which isn't just a graffiti tag. I love the tropical plant border. The eleventh section: in a very similar style (same artist?) to a number of small street art pieces we have photographed around Florianopolis, like owls and birds. The twelfth (and last) section of the overpass wall. Here it gets rather low - these faces just fit.

Once I started to walk along the wall, taking pictures of motifs that stood out, I realised that this work was far more complex than it appeared to be on first impression. There are elements connecting individual sections in such a way that you really have to look twice (or thrice).

For example, roughly in the middle you find a change from orange yellowish tones to blue; a fish in this part is half executed in orange-yellow, half in blue shades – even the way the fish is painted differs from one half to the other, although it’s clearly a connecting element.

You also see fish or birds forming part of faces. The faces are clearly there, the animals are also clearly visible…

After the faces of section 12 there is a bit of wall with the credits. To some people this list of street artists will mean a lot...

After the faces of section 12 there is a bit of wall with the credits. To some people this list of street artists will mean a lot…

When I came to the furthest end of the wall I found a long ‘credit’ section, which explained

  • the complexity of this street art project (that a large group of artists created it)
  • the quality of this street art.

This wall, in a prominent place along the route from the airport into the city of Florianópolis, was created during the Bienal Brasileira de Design , an all-encompassing bi-annual design symposium which was held in Florianópolis in 2015.

Graffiti (alongside topics like graphic design, furniture, general 3D-design) was part of the symposium’s program. Unfortunately, with my non-existent Portuguese, I was unable to find out more about this particular street art project. If you are curious please follow the link or google yourself…

The supports of the overpass on the other side of where traffic moves under it. They are also covered in street art - each with two individual pieces (one each side). Here 5 of the 6 looking in direction of the city centre (the other one didn't fit into the lens frame).

The supports of the overpass on the other side of where traffic moves under it. They are also covered in street art – each with two individual pieces (one each side). Here 5 of the 6 looking in direction of the city centre (the other one didn’t fit into the lens frame).


Under the overpass, looking back towards the retaining wall. In the foreground 3 columns with street art (and an unknown man). A close-up of one of the overpass street art columns Another close-up of one of the overpass supports - looking towards the street art wall in the background. Part of the street art you see first after coming off the highway to turn towards the Florianopolis' airport.
The left side of the wall under the overpass. Note the play with elements in the blue face on the right, where the face is part of the body of a fish with another fish forming the right eye.

The left side of the wall under the overpass. Note the play with elements in the blue face on the right, where the face is part of the body of a fish with another fish forming the right eye.

This is the opposite side of the overpass, as seen from a road which doesn't get much traffic. As you see, the grey concrete is still attracting some tagging and street art - just not in such an all-encompassing way.

This is the opposite side of the overpass, as seen from a road which doesn’t get much traffic. As you see, the grey concrete is still attracting some tagging and street art – just not in such an all-encompassing way.

Google maps location: -27:38.87489, -48:31.25313

Google maps location: -27:38.87489, -48:31.25313

Street Art is a public art form now celebrated all over the world. In Florianópolis, Brazil, we discovered a large wall of an overpass which was collectively created by a team of artists as part of the Bienal Brasileira de Design 2015. It's an explosion of colours, blending together different styles of graffiti to form one complex piece of urban art to enhance an otherwise grey and dull concrete structure.

Pin this for later reading!

 
I won’t ask you what your favourite section of this StreetArt wall is – personally, I find this too difficult to decide.
But what do think of it in general?
Is it an enhancement of the urban landscape?
Do you think that this “explosion of colour instead of dull grey concrete” is an improvement on an otherwise ugly overpass?
Or do you find it a distraction, even an ‘eyesore’?
Travel Thursday Link-Up
weekend travel inspiration
 

The post An Explosion of Colour Instead of Dull Grey Concrete appeared first on dare2go.


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