---
title: "São Paulo's journey from street art vandalism to world capital in mural painting"
date: 2023-10-10T10:08:31Z
modified: 2025-10-17T05:38:56Z
permalink: "https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/city-project/sao-paulo-museu-de-arte-de-rua-de-sao-paulo/"
type: city-project
status: publish
excerpt: The Street Art Museum project was launched in 2019, and provides a framework for organising the distribution of new murals across buildings in the city. The project takes place across five regions within the city, and gathers work from a range of artists working in graffiti, stencils and photography
wpid: 168623
tags:
  - Data
  - Tourism
  - Urban Development
  - São Paulo
  - Brazil
  - Latin America
  - Creative Practice
  - Infrastructure
  - Public Realm
region:
  - São Paulo
country:
  - Brazil
city-region:
  - Latin America
topic:
  - Creative Practice
  - Infrastructure
  - Public Realm
featured_image: "https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Sao-Paulo.jpg"
timestamp: 2025-10-17T05:38:56Z
---

## Project: programme democratising street art across the city



![](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Sao-Paulo.jpg)

**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.

![](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Sao-Paulo-4.jpg)

**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_](https://worldcitiescultureforum.com/publication/world-cities-culture-forum-report-2022/)

Images Courtesy © Wendy Wyatt