Fierce Favela Painting

Posted by ScrapHacker.com on torsdag, november 24, 2011 · Leave a Comment

If I had to select my favorite ScrapHack of all times, the Favela Painting Project by Jeroen Koolhaas and Dre Urhahn (as a team also known as Haas&Hahn) would be it – it´s simple, heart-warming and hands-on. The fantastic project aims at transforming Rio´s slum ”favelas” into a works of art, boosting the confidence, and everyday quality of life of its citizens.

Before

I first heard about the project the other day when attending the Design With the Other 90%: Cities exhibition showing at the U.N visitors lobby, NYC (organized by Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, through January 9 2012).

After

In 2010, they employed local youth to paint murals over 7,000 square meters (75,000 sq. ft.) of the public square, thirty-four surrounding houses, streets, and the interior of a popular samba studio in the Santa Marta settlement.

Artistic duo Koolhaas & Urhahn

The project boosted positivity (in a area in bad need for a boost) simply by adding art and beauty to the built environment, something that also drove international media attention to the need for improvements.