The united Nations Human Settlements program (UNHSP) predicts that this number could double by 2030 and triple by 2050. This will put increasing pressure on these settlements, which consist of cramped, low – quality buildings. There may be no easy solution to the problem of overcrowding. But at least in some slums, artists have been working with local resident to make their environments less unpleasant – and to create a sense of community pride.
In Rio de Janeiro, Dutch artists Dre Urhahn and Jeroen Koolhaas have been making a mark on the local landscape for several years. They first visited the slum, or favela, of Vila Cruzeiro in 2005, to make a documentary about hip-hop music. During that time, they lived in the community and soon realized that there was a big gap between that perception of the favelas, and the reality. Favelas are just like any other neighborhood: a place where normal families live, where everyone has dream, and parents want a better future for their children.
That experience had such a profound effect on them that they wanted to help improve the perception of Vila Cruzeiro and its residents. And so, the Favela Painting project was born. Large-scale mural projects have transformed the area into such a visually appearing place that both foreign and local tourist have started coming to see them.
Since then, community painting projects have taken off in other area. In 2009, Urhahn and Koolhaas established the Tudo de Cor para Santa Marta project in another Rio favela. Local residents painted 33 old-fashioned houses in the main square in a rainbow of color. Their exteriors now look charming, bright, and colorful, and the resident learned new skills during the process. Both projects have clearly put the residents’ sense of community on display.
Urhahn and Koolhaas have now moved to Philadelphia in the USA, and have been discussing their ideas for a major public art project, which will include a huge mural, with local residents. Watch this space …