São Paulo’s journey from street art vandalism to world capital in mural painting

The Purpose
The purpose is to highlight the transformation of São Paulo from a city that treated street art as vandalism to one that celebrates and supports street artists. The goal was to make urban art accessible, democratise access to art, and decentralise creative production throughout the city.

The Challenge
Historically, São Paulo treated street art as vandalism, and artists struggled to secure authorisation for their works. Navigating the city’s architectural spaces, particularly those preserved for historic value, was also challenging for artists.

The city launched the Street Art Museum 360 platform in 2020, cataloguing and mapping more than 90 murals, making urban art accessible both in person and online.

The Solution
The solution introduced is the Street Art Museum project, launched in 2019, which provides a framework for organising the distribution of new murals across buildings in São Paulo. The project covers five regions within the city and gathers works from various artists working in graffiti, stencils and photography. The city also launched the Street Art Museum 360 platform in 2020, cataloguing and mapping more than 90 murals, making urban art accessible both in person and online. The project is managed by the Municipal Secretariat of Culture, in partnership with the Secretariat of Education and Subprefectures.

The Impact
The Street Art Museum project has successfully transformed São Paulo into an evolving open-air museum, democratising access to art, and decentralising creative production across the city. The project has enhanced support structures for urban art and further solidified São Paulo’s status as a world capital for mural painting. Street art gained popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic, as people turned to art on the streets when traditional cultural spaces were closed. The MAR 360 platform made urban art accessible online and introduced the city’s streets and artists to new global audiences.

Source: World Cities Culture Report 2022

Images Courtesy © Wendy Wyatt