January 2007
23 x 3 metres wall painting of the Public School in Bairro Surubi, Resende, Brazil
The COLLECTIVE PAINTING or in Brazilian PINTURA COLETIVA makes a great contrast to the surrounding Bairro Surubi, where roads are of dust, or full of holes, electricity goes when raining, and the main square is falling apart. Thanks to all citizens of Bairro Surubi taking part and making a manifest for the small self-built city area to be proud of. Everyone interested was invited to join the 6 days collective painting workshop. Children and youngsters were the first ones to be eager to take part. Culmination on 5th day when many adults came along too. The regional TV RIO SUL paid a visit early morning 6th day. Families came along to see the wall, and still do. Children pointing at the wall telling their grant-parents where and what they had been painting. City hall people drove by and got amazed. Local bar gave beer to the organisers, which is a rare thing here.
Click on photo to view in bigger size.
Postscript
After Karoline arrived back in Denmark she kept contact with Citizens Organization of Bairro Surubi. The Resende City Hall seems to consider repairing infrastructure in the Bairro Surubi area of the city only when media tells a critical story, or right before a new election. People living here have a low income or none, thus their votes seem not to be important enough? Hopefully the contrast of the PINTURA COLETIVA could draw more ‘beauty’ to Bairro Surubi? In the middle of March 2007 1,5 month after the PINTURA COLETIVA the city hall sent workers to begin the asphaltation of the main crossroad in Surubi. This was a small beginning.
Documentation
Photostills by Amarante T. Souza and Karoline H. Larsen.
Video photographer and video editing by Amarante T. Souza.
Wall-Technician and local contact for the Citizens Organisation, Walber Da Silva.
