The I.C.B.I.E. Blog

GRAFITES EMBELEZAM OS BAIRROS DA RIBEIRA E SÃO CAETANO

          Os artistas participantes do 1º Encontro Internacional Bahia Grafite, realizado em Salvador, apesar da intensa programação, alguns deles ainda tiveram tempo, disposição e muita energia para intervenções em outros bairros. Na Ribeira, por exemplo, o painel na parede lateral do ICBIE, uma iniciativa da crew Nova10ordem, reuniu diversos artistas, atividade que levou horas de trabalho. Além desse, foram feitas intervenções em muros, balaustradas e cascos de embarcações. A convite das crews EGS e Toque Feminino, dois paineis foram pintados com a participação de outros artistas, embelezando os muros das ladeiras que dão acesso a Campinas de Pirajá e retorno para o bairro de São Caetano.

Texto e fotos: JFParanaguá

THE RIBEIRA AND SÃO CAETANO NEIGHBORHOODS DECORATED WITH GRAFFITI 

          The artists participating in the First International Bahia Graffita Meeting in Salvador, despite the intense calendar of events, nonetheless managed to find the time, the disposition, and a lot of energy, to intervene in other neighborhoods.  In Ribeira, for example, a panel on the side of the ICBIE, an initiative of the Nova 10Ordem crew, brought together different artists in a work that required hours of work.  Beyond this, there were interventions on walls, balustrades and the hulls of boats.  A collaboration between the crews EGS and Toque Feminino, two panels were painted with the participation of other artists, decorating the walls on the side that enters Campinas de Pirajá and leads to the São Caetano district.

Text and photos: JFParanaguá

Semana de Arte na Rua marca uma nova etapa do grafite em Salvador

(English translation below)

O dia 19 (sexta-feira) transformou-se em um marco para a história do grafite baiano. Os transeuntes que usam o acesso ao Vale do Canela pelo Campo Grande, estão sendo brindados com o belo mural artístico, modificando a paisagem do local. O muro que contorna o acesso com aproximadamente 50 metros de extensão, ganhou vida. Virou uma galeria a céu aberto, expondo verdadeiras obras de arte produzidas pelos grafiteiros do 1º Encontro Internacional Bahia Grafita, organizado pelo ICBIE e o Grupo Nova10Ordem.
Mais de 50 artistas deixaram suas marcas, cada um, utilizando diferentes técnicas e estilos. Os grafiteiros vindos da Colômbia, Estados Unidos, França, Portugal, Dinamarca, Argélia, Suíça, Sergipe, São Paulo, Minas, juntaram-se aos baianos (Salvador e Serrinha) e com criatividade e talento, colocaram a mão na massa, munidos de sprays, colas, rolinhos, tinta látex, embelezando o muro escolhido para o encerramento do evento. Depois de muitas horas de trabalho, deram formas a seus personagens, bombs, styles, 3Ds, stencils, colagens, letras e mensagens, compondo um cenário com múltiplas cores.
As obras de arte foram assinadas pelos seguintes artistas: Kongo, Pwoz e Shoz (França), Ceet (Argélia), Mr. Dhed e Vulto (Portugal), Nice One e Tip Toe (USA), Narco, SRC e Kame One (Colômbia), Sins (Suiça), A-Lei e Prém (Dinamarca), Cato (Espanha), Bonga, Binho One,Ketu, Origi, Aine, Ignoreporfavor, LiaFênix e Raul Zito (São Paulo) Viber e Zack (Minas Gerais), Chagas (Sergipe), Ame10 (Serinha), Júlio Costa, Bigod, Tial, Vidal, Fumax, Furone, Seik, Questão, Roque, Zumbi, Deng, Pinel, Lika, Rebeca,Lee27, Sank25, Bulgo, Carol, Drico, Mesik, Finho, Prisk, Thito Lama, Ásia, Baga, Marcos Costa, Milton Punk, Mônica, Udson e Gringo (Salvador).
Prestigiaram o evento os grafiteiros Turno, Afro, Smouk, Slam, Seden, Seik, Scar, Nikol, Covero, Reborne, Blok, Fera, Vadio12, Flip, Bigu, Leo Protesto, Samuka e Taizo, Amine e Elis Ângela, coordenadoras do Projeto Salvador Grafita, jornalistas, pesquisadores, estudantes, turistas e o público baiano.
Texto e fotos: JFParanaguá.

The Week of Street Art marks a new stage for graffiti in Salvador

The 19th (Friday) became a landmark in the history of Bahian graffiti.  Whoever happened to pass along the road that connects Vale do Canela with Campo Grande (in downtown Salvador) was struck by the beautiful artistic mural that transformed the landscape of the area.   The wall, approximately fifty meters long, that encloses the access road, came to life.  It turned into an open-air art gallery, showing genuine artworks produced by the street artists of the First International Meeting, Bahia Grafita, organized by the ICBIE and the Nova 10Ordem crew.

More than fifty artists left their marks, each one using different techniques and styles.  The graffiti writers came from Colombia, USA, France, Portugal, Denmark, Algeria and Switzerland, but also from the Brazilian cities of Sergipe, São Paulo and Minas, together with the Bahians, and, with creativity and talent,  they put their hands to work, armed with spray cans, glues, rollers and latex paints, beautifying the wall that had been chosen for the climax of the meeting.  After many hours of work, they realized their portraits, bombs, styles, 3Ds, stencils, collages, letters and messages, composing a tapestry with a multitude of scenes.

The artworks were assembled by the following artists: Kongo, Pwoz and Shoz (France), Ceet (Algeria), Mr. Dhed and Vulto (Portugal), Nice One and Tip Toe (USA), Narco, SRC and Kame One (Colombia), Sins (Switzerland), A-Lei and Prém (Denmark), Cato (Spain), Bonga, Binho One, Ketu, Origi, Aine, Ignoreporfavor, LiaFênix and Raul Zito (São Paulo), Viber and Zack (Minas Gerais), Chagas (Sergipe), Ame10 (Serinha), Júlio Costa, Bigod, Tial, Vidal, Fumax, Furone, Seik, Questão, Roque, Zumbi, Deng, Pinel, Lika, Rebeca, Lee27, Sank25, Bulgo, Carol, Drico, Mesik, Finho, Prisk, Thito Lama, Ásia, Baga, Marcos Costa, Milton Punk, Mônica, Udson and Gringo (Salvador).

The event gained extra prestige with the presence of the graffiti writers Turno, Afro, Smouk, Slam, Seden, Seik, Scar, Nikol, Covero, Reborne, Blok, Fera, Vadio12, Flip, Bigu, Leo Protesto, Samuka and Taizo, Amine and Elis Ângela, coordinators of the Salvador Grafita Project, journalists, researchers, students, tourists and the Bahian public.

Texto e fotos: JFParanaguá.

The local Salvador press has been following the International Meeting of Graffiti Artists, and here are two links to their photo galleries.

This first one contains photo galleries by our own Paranaguá:   www.correio24horas.com.br

The second has photos by Marco Aurélio Martins, of the daily newspaper A Tarde:  http://www.atarde.com.br

More news to follow…

Photo by JF Paranaguá

ICBIE apresenta vídeo da TRU MAC

Quarta-feira, 17 de setembro de 2008. Enquanto aguardava o início da apresentação do documentário “TRU MAC”, na Aliança Francesa, aproveitei para ver o pôr-do-sol e degustar um crepe no barzinho existente na parte do fundo da instituição. O entardecer não foi um dos mais bonitos. Às 17 horas, o Sol se escondeu por detrás das nuvens. Nesse dia, não tive o privilegio de assistir o pôr-do-sol. Aliás, como muitos admiradores que esperavam esse momento tão sublime em alguma parte do planeta.

Foi a primeira vez que o ICBIE apresentou um documentário, mostrando as pinturas dos grafiteiros franceses e americanos na cidade de Brooklyn, em Nova Iorque, USA. O espaço ficou pequeno para o número de pessoas presentes. A noite do dia 17 ficou na memória daqueles que presenciaram as cenas de pinturas do grupo da “TRU MAC”, com os primeiros grafiteiros americanos. Os detalhes, traços, técnicas, estilos de cada artista, entrevistas; o cenário da pintura com vários personagens, letras e muitas cores. O enorme painel que ganhou vida. Um espetáculo fantástico!

Após o término da apresentação, os grafiteiros Kongo ,um dos líderes da MAC  e Ceet da Skool, responderam perguntas formuladas pelo público, a respeito do documentário, da formação do grupo, repressão policial, entre outros, inclusive sobre participação deles no 1º Encontro Internacional Grafita Bahia.

Photos by Paranaguá

ICBIE presents the TRU MAC video

Wednesday, September 17th, 2008.  While waiting for the start of the showing of the TRU MAC documentary at the Alliance Française, I took advantage of the chance to watch the twilight and to taste a crepe at the little bar situated at the back of the institute. The sunset wasn’t the greatest.  At 5 PM, the sun went behind the clouds, and for that day, I didn’t have the privilege to watch it, just as many other spectators who wait for that sublime moment, in every part of the planet.

It was the first time that the ICBIE presented the documentary, showing the works of French and American graffiti artists in Brooklyn, New York.  The hall proved to be too small for the crowd of people who were present.  The night of the 17th will remain in the memories of everyone who watched the scenes by the group TRU MAC, together with the best American artists.  The details, the designs, the techniques and the styles of every artist interviewed gave an insight into the painting of the various personalities, their writing styles and their many colors.  The enormous panel that came to life.  A fantastic spectacle!

When the film ended, the graffiti writers Kongo (one of the leaders of the MAC) and Ceet da Skool answered questions from the audience about the documentary, about the formation of their groups, and about political repression, among other things, including their participation in the First International Meeting of Bahia Graffita.

JF Paranaguá

Once again, the great photojournalism of our friend Paranaguá keeps us abreast of the latest news from the Bahia Grafita Street Art Week.  Here is a chronicle of days three and four (with an English translation below)

No segundo dia da pintura na Quadra 4, Conjunto Vivendas da Massaranduba, bairro da cidade baixa, foi a vez das grafiteiras LiaFeniz (SP) e Viber (MG), acompanhadas dos companheiros Ignoreporfavor e Zack, respectivamente, pintarem seus personagens na parede dos imóveis. O baiano Sluts também deu sua contribuição, além do colombiano SRC e dos paulistas Aine, Origi e Ketu, que concluiram seus trabalhos no início da tarde de segunda-feira (15).

Participaram da pintura do painel, os seguintes artistas:

Ceet (China), Kongo, Pwou (França), A-Lei e Prém (Dinamarca), Sins (Suiça), Mr. Dheo e Juts (Portugal), SRC, Kameone e Narco (Colômbia), TipToe e Nice-one (Estados Unidos), Chagas (Aracaju/SE), Viber e Zack (Minas Gerais), LiaFenix, Ignoreporfavor, Bonga, Ketu, Aine, Origi, Raul Zito (São Paulo), Gugumelow (Senhor do Bonfim/BA), Ame10 e Roes (Serrinha/BA), Júlio, Bigod, Prusik, Lika, Sluts, Rb’k, Kátia, Rima, Chault, Fumax, Boob, Pinel, Mônica, Bugo, Carol, Gavy, Miu, Lee27, Afro, Baga, Muca, Thito Lama, Smouk, With, Vidal, Acme, Tial, Deng, Kura, Taizo, Turno, Drico, Sthep, Core, Finho, Mezik, Dilan13, Smil, Jasp, Toc, Sinho, Sup e Tisp (Salvador/BA). Paz!

Tour na Baía de todos os Santos

Grafiteiros brasileiros e estrangeiros, na companhia dos organizadores do 1º Encontro Internacional de Grafite em Salvador, conheceram a maior baía brasileira, a bordo de uma caravela, fazendo o percurso Terminal Naútico/Forte Santo Antônio da barra/Forte São Marcelo/Terminal Naútico.

          A Baía de Todos os Santos (BTS) é a maior baía brasileira e a segunda maior do mundo e está localizada no estado da Bahia. É dela que se origina o nome capitania e futuro provìncia e estado baiano.

Era conhecida pelos navegadores portugueses desde 1501; sua localização estratégica na costa brasileira propiciava as ligações Portugal - Brasil - África - Ásia. A expedição que saiu em reconhecimento à terra descoberta por Pedro Álvares Cabral deparou-se com uma grande baía - batizada de Baía de Todos os Santos pelo navegador Américo Vespurcio, por ter sido descoberta no dia 1º de novembro.

Um dia inesquecível

          Na bela manhã do dia 16, após 507 anos da descoberta da Baía de Todos os Santos, fizemos uma viagem no tempo a bordo da caravela “Príncipe Regente”, uma réplica das embarcações portuguesas, sob o comando de um capitão, tendo como tripulação uma marinheira e um guia, vestidos com trajes daquela época. O visual, incomum nos dias atuais, despertou a atenção de todos. Muitos registros foram feitos com alguns dos estrangeiros colocando o chapéu e simulando o comando da embarcação. A brincadeira divertida, alegrava o ambiente. O restante do grupo ouvia atentamente o guia, que se desdobrava nas explicações, uma forma de demonstrar seus conhecimentos sobre os fatos históricos, a cultura baiana, religiosidade, entre outros.

          O final do passeio foi no Forte São Marcelo. No seu interior, existem várias salas com exposições naúticas, restaurantes e lanchonete. Na parte superior, no centro, um grande espaço para prática de competições de skate, além da vista privilegiada da Baía de Todos os Santos e os seus entornos.

Txt: Paranaguá

Fotos: Paranaguá e Shirley

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On the second day of painting in Project 4 of the Conjunto Vivendas in Massaranduba, a neighborhood of the cidade baixa, it was up to the two Brazilian grafiteiras LiaFeniz (SP) e Viber (MG), accompanied by two comrades Ignoreporfavor and Zack, to paint their pictures on the walls of two buildings.  The Bahian writer Sluts also made his contribution, along with the Colombian SRC and Aine, Origi e Ketu from São Paulo, who finished up  works that were begun on Monday afternoon (15).

The contributors to the painting of the whole panel were:

Ceet (China), Kongo, Pwou (France), A-Lei and Prém (Denmark), Sins (Switzerland), Mr. Dheo and Juts (Portugal), SRC, Kameone and Narco (Colombia), TipToe and Nice-one (USA), Chagas (Aracaju/SE), Viber and Zack (Minas Gerais), LiaFenix, Ignoreporfavor, Bonga, Ketu, Aine, Origi, Raul Zito (São Paulo), Gugumelow (Senhor do Bonfim/BA), Ame10 and Roes (Serrinha/BA), Júlio, Bigod, Prusik, Lika, Sluts, Rb’k, Kátia, Rima, Chault, Fumax, Boob, Pinel, Mônica, Bugo, Carol, Gavy, Miu, Lee27, Afro, Baga, Muca, Thito Lama, Smouk, With, Vidal, Acme, Tial, Deng, Kura, Taizo, Turno, Drico, Sthep, Core, Finho, Mezik, Dilan13, Smil, Jasp, Toc, Sinho, Sup and Tisp (Salvador/BA). Peace!

Tour on the Bay of All Saints

Graffiti artists from Brazil and abroad, accompanied by the directors of the First International Meeting of Graffiti in Salvador, visit the biggest bay in Brazil aboard a caravel, following a route from the Nautical Terminal to the Fort of S. Anthony in Barra and the Fort of S. Marcel.

          The Bay of All Saints, the biggest bay in Brazil and the second biggest in the world, is located in the state of Bahia.  It is gives it name to the port authority, the future province, and the Bahian State.

It was known to the Portuguese explorers from the year 1501, and its strategic location on the Brazilian coast made it a cardinal point on the axis Portugal - Brazil - Africa - Asia.   The expedition that came to recognize that the land originally discovered by Pedro Álvares Cabral also had a huge bay was Amerigo Vespucci, who named it the Bay of All Saints, because he discovered it on the first of November.

An unforgettable day

          On the fine morning of the 16th, 507 years after the discovery of the Bay of All Saints, we planned a trip back in time, aboard the caravel “Príncipe Regente”, a replica of a Portuguese ship, under the command of a capitan, a lady sailor and a guide, all dressed in period costumes.  The sight of it, so different from what we are used to today, caught everyone’s attention.  Many photos were taken with some of the foreigners posing with the funny hats and pretending to command the ship.  The merry crew kept everyone happy.  Everybody else listened attentively to the guide, who gave detailed explainations, showing a thorough knowledge of the historical facts, and of Bahian culture, religion, and so on.

The last stop was at the S. Marcel Fort.  Inside, there are different rooms with nautical equipment, plus a restaurant and a snack bar.  On the top, in the center, is a large space where we could improvise skateboarding competitions, while at the same time enjoying a privileged view of the Bay of All Saints and its environs.

Text: Paranaguá

Photos: Paranaguá e Shirley

Bahia Graffita is underway!  On Saturday night, 30 artists from all over the world arrived in Ribeira for the First International Graffiti Meeting, organized by the ICBIE and Nova 10Ordem, Julio and Bigode’s crew.  Thanks to our friend Paranaguá, fresh news and beautiful pictures have arrived, and there’s an English translation below.

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No último sábado (13), cerca de 100 pessoas prestigiaram a vernissage dos artistas participantes do 1st International Meeting Graffiti/1º Encontro Internacional de Grafite Bahia, na sede do ICBIE. Na abertura, o secretário de Educação Municipal, Carlos Soares, enalteceu a iniciativa do Instituto, sobre a importância deste evento para a cidade do Salvador. Falaram ainda, Pietro Gallina, José Paranaguá e os grafiteiros Júlio Costa e Felipe Carvalho (Fumax).

Noite de glamour

Depois das boas-vindas aos grafiteiros estrangeiros, foi oferecido um conquetel em clima de muita alegria. Artistas, intelectuais, amigos e convidados, conversaram animadamente com os grafiteiros da França, Estados Unidos, Colômbia, China, Portugal, Suiça, Dinamarca e os brasileiros, a respeito das suas experiências, detalhes e expectativas para os próximos dias.

Grafites e atividades de lazer

O domingo (dia14) foi um dia de muita diversão para os moradores do Conjunto Vivendas da Massaranduba. Por ser considerado um bairro que sofre um grande problema social, a organização do evento escolheu para servir de palco de manifestações de grafites, que contou ainda com atividades de lazer (tênis de mesa, basquete, pula-pula, entre outras), promovidas pela Prefeitura.

Foram mais de 50 escritores de rua, entre estrangeiros, brasileiros e integrantes do Projeto Salvador Grafita, pintando as paredes das casas do conjunto. Os traços e esboços, começaram a ganhar formas, embelezando o painel de 100 metros de extensão. O colorido e a diversidade de estilos, despertava a atenção dos traseuntes. ” Que coisa maravilhosa! A rua ficou mais alegre com tantos desenhos. Sempre que passar por aqui vou admirar o trabalho desse jovens”, comentou um morador.

Fotos: Paranaguá

Last Saturday (13), about a hundred people attended a vernissage for the artists participating in the 1st International Graffiti Meeting, held at the ICBIE.  In the opening ceremony, the City Secretary of Education, Carlos Soares, praised the Institute’s initiative, citing the importance of this event for the city of Salvador.  Pietro Gallina, José Paranaguá and the grafiteiros Júlio Costa and Felipe Carvalho (Fumax) also spoke.

A Glamorous Evening

The welcoming ceremony for the foreign artists was followed by a cocktail party, in an atmosphere of great excitement.  Artists, from France, the United States, Colombia, China, Portugal, Switzerland and Denmark, as well from around Brazil, together with intellectuals, friends and family engaged in animated conversation regarding experiences, details and and expectations for the coming days.

Graffiti and Recreation

Sunday (the 14th) was a really different kind of day for the residents of the new housing projects in Massaranduba.  Its reputation as a neighborhood suffering from terrible social problems caused it to be chosen by the organizers of the event to serve as a stage for a graffiti event, complete with other activities (table tennis, basketball, pula-pula, etc.), promoted by the city.

There were more than fifty street writers, counting the foreigners, Brazilians and members of the Salvador Grafita Project, painting walls of the houses in the project.  The sketches and drafts began to take form, embellishing a panel that was a hundred meters long.  The colors and the diversity of styles caught the attention of the people who passed by.  “What a wonderful thing!,” said a local resident, “The street is a lot more happy with all these paintings.  Every time I come by here, I’ll be able to admire the work of these kids.”

Photos: Paranaguá

In the midst of the frenetic preparations for the International Graffiti Meeting, on Thursday evening the ICBIE hosted a theater production of The Three Little Pigs, providing a delightful distraction from all the pressure.  The play grew out of Claire’s English classes and was truly a group project, with everyone contributing ideas for the story, building the characters, composing their dialogues, and then deciding upon costumes, music and staging.  The big bad wolf had to be split in two, because both Julio and Nadson were perfect for the role.  The result was a delirious mix of Bahian English and slapstick comedy, with the revelatory brilliance of our student actors eclipsing everything else.

Sadly, the performance also marked the completion of Claire’s wonderful classes.  Everyone is so grateful for her help in all the different ICBIE activities.  Her enthusiasm, dedication and gentle disposition conquered everyone, from the very first minute, and her classes kept our students very busy, perfectly filling the gap between Louise’s departure and Mary Overby’s arrival–her lessons begin next week!  We hope that Claire will imitate Mary… and come back to the ICBIE again and again!

The ICBIE’s largest cultural encounter is all organized, and it’s ready to start on Saturday.  Planning only began about six weeks ago, and the groundwork was difficult, trying to reconcile the astounding response from hundreds of street artists all around the globe with the lethargic indifference of local institutions, sponsors and support organizations.  This was complicated by the upcoming Salvador city elections, which meant that city hall (and Salvador grafita) were prohibited from taking part, due to restrictions in force during these weeks just before the polls open.  Nonetheless, thanks to the hard work of the entire ICBIE team, the whole event has been prepared in every detail.  See for yourself.  The official program looks like this:

To celebrate the opening of an ICBIE office in Rome, our Italian supporters, brilliantly led by Monica Bernardi, served up the biggest Roman ICBIE gathering ever seen.  The venue was perfect: after a solid week of stiflingly hot weather, the choice of a Saturday night party on Capocotta beach was an irresistible attraction, and our friends turned out in throngs.  Capocotta is a great symbolic location:  supposedly, Aeneas landed there, before taking his troups ashore to found the city of Rome, but above all, it became a hotspot of the Italian counterculture during the 1970’s, when the Estate romana of Renato Nicolini chose the beach as the site for a legendary International Poetry Festival, with Gregory Corso and Allen Ginsburg stirring up a wild crowd of intellectuals, hippies and nudists.

It was amazing to see all our staunch supporters once again, with dozens of people who have visited the ICBIE in Ribeira abandoning themselves, reminiscing nostalgically about Pietro and Bogus, Julio and Marlene and Lu.  Of course, for Giovanna, Marcella, Guido, Cinzia and Roy, who were in Salvador until very recently, the saudade was especially poignant.  But there was no time to get maudlin, with a sumptuous banquet of churrasco and cerveja, and a profusion of good friends.  Then Diego “Pachanga” Lucantoni summoned the horde of drummers known as Akuna Matata, marching them in from the beach to give a rousing exhibition of irresistible samba rhythms.

Last night’s bash also coincided with the eighteenth birthday of Gabriele Fabozzi, who chose to celebrate together with us.  This AOSR senior took his whole family to stay at the ICBIE last Christmas, and they have been our staunch supporters ever since.

The music continued late into the night, with Dj Amião churning out Brazilian dance music non-stop.  We have to thank Monica for the flawless organization, the people at the Porto di Enea for their hospitality, Serginho for the splendid churrasco, and all of our hundreds of friends who made the evening unforgettable.

OK, I confess.  These three photos have been pinched from Orkut, which is the most popular personal networking site in Brazil;  I would only have committed such a crime against intellectual property (and the artistic quality of the stolen works is indubitable) if I knew my villainy would be forgiven.  I wouldn’t think of posting an unauthorized photo by our dear friend Paranaguá, because he is a professional photographer, and he merits far more recognition than I am capable of giving him.  Instead, the present act of thievery is only meant to recognize one of the many talents of our stalwart student and companion in arms, Ricardo Gramoza aka Bogus.

I have seen a lot of pictures of the ICBIE façade, but this one is perfectly Hellenic (if it weren’t for the darn electricity pole, but that’s not Bogus’s fault.  It also shows Bogus’s house, immediately to the right of the casarão).

And this next one shows the participants of last weekend’s workshop on cultural projects.  Bravo, Bogus!

This next one shows the happy English students with their teacher.  (If you haven’t been carefully following this blog, I bet you won’t correctly guess who the teacher is!)  Now, this lovely picture quite obviously was NOT taken by Bogus.  Yet he posted it on Orkut!  I think we’ll just let HIM worry about intellectual property infringements.

Roy Zimmerman