Chicago Urban Art Society: The Chicago Street Art Show Teaser from Nick Brazinsky on Vimeo.
Chicago Urban Art Society: The Chicago Street Art Show Teaser
Video: Nick Brazinsky
Brazil Tours: Street Art in Rio de Janeiro
Author: Hortense Soulier
Exploring a city and understanding its inhabitants’ way of life and culture is not always about doing the tourist activities that guides tell you about. Museums and historic monuments are of course the best way to learn about a country’s history, but you can only get a true feeling of what a city’s life is by actually living it, mingling with the locals, and observing how things are done.
Rio de Janeiro is one of the most vibrant and attractive cities in Latin America. Become a “Carioca” yourself by wandering the streets of this colorful and cheerful capital, and straying away from the crowds to get an authentic experience.
One interesting thing that you can do is graffiti hunting. The walls of Rio are covered with graffiti of all sizes, shapes, and colors. Some have a theme and some don’t, but many are truly fascinating and add a touch of color and art which contribute to make Rio one of the most exciting cities. Unlike many others, dull grey and rain are not what characterize Rio! Admire the frescoes adorning the walls. Here, graffiti is an art and people generally respect the work of the painters.
Sitting close to Lagoa, Rio’s beautiful city lake, Parque de Catacumba offers a surprising combination of a park and open-air gallery. Largely unknown from tourists, this lovely park is a pleasure to walk in if you are trying to get away from the hustle and bustle of the streets. The park features tropical plants and nature walks alongside dramatic sculptures by local artists. If you are lucky, you might catch a glimpse of monkeys reclining on the park’s benches and exotic birds in the trees. Don’t forget to take the steep trail that leads past bamboo groves to a viewpoint with spectacular views over the Lagao and out across to Ipanema.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/destinations-articles/brazil-tours-street-art-in-rio-de-janeiro-4098149.html
About the Author
This guide to street art in Rio de Janeiro was written by a Brazil travel expert at Brazil For Less available to help you custom design exciting and adventurous Brazil tours.
Street Art: A Window to a City’s Soul
Author: Dylan Kendall
I’m fascinated by cities that live. Cities where people come together and do more than shop, work and sleep behind closed doors, gates and locks. Cities where the community participates in creating living environments that respond to the emotions, challenges and needs of residents. Driven by the spontaneous and unconstrained creativity of community members, I am referring to the urban artistic gestures that inspire people to notice how they are living.
A few months ago TED, the California-based lecture series named for its roots in technology, entertainment and design, gave its 2011 annual One Wish to Change the World award to an unlikely suspect: J R, a Parisian street artist whose large-scale photographs of local people plaster the walls of some of the poorest neighborhoods in the world, from Paris to Brazil. J R uses his camera to freeze moments in time and to reinforce the connection between people found in the exchange of a smile or the gaze of another. The power of J R’s work is not in the illegally mounted photographs, but rather in the sense of pride he evokes in the people with whom he works. To accomplish this incredible act, the community must trust each other, be vulnerable and be willing to allow the camera to see who they really are. (Watch the video on the right side of the page showcasing J R. It’ll be worth your time.) J R brings humanity back to cities.
