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

Sábado inesquecível:

O dia 24 de janeiro de 2009 entrou para a história dos mutirões de grafite em Salvador.

Um espetáculo de cores, alegria, som, interação e a badalada feijoada. Esses foram os ingredientes para o sucesso do Mutirão de Grafite na Rua Clóvis Almeida Maia, bairro da Ribeira, organizado pelo grupo Nova10ordem, comemorando os aniversários de Júlio Costa, Muleca(RJ), a marca da exposição A Arte na Rua do fotógrafo JFParanaguá e o lançamento do Projeto Oficina de Rua pelo ICBIE.

Vinte e seis grafiteiros deram um show de criatividade, com uma arte generosa, ofertada a todos da comunidade, modificando o cenário local. Fachadas e muros de imóveis espalhados pela rua principal e algumas travessas foram transformados em telas, exibindo os belos trabalhos que surgiram de forma espontânea ou às vezes por sugestões dos proprietários, através do diálogo de cores e formas dos personagens, styles, peixes, flores, figuras humanas, mensagens, entre outros.

A integração entre grafiteiros e moradores foi um dos pontos de destaque do mutirão. O grafite não foi o objetivo principal, mas o fortalecimento de identificação com esse tipo de atividade social, a amizade, a comunhão com os moradores, além da união de várias gerações de arte, estilos, raças, credos, numa convivência harmoniosa. Tudo que se fez ali naquele dia ficou marcado na vida das pessoas, principalmente daqueles que tiveram contato mais próximo.

Jovens e crianças, na sua maioria, foram presenças marcantes, com suas irreverências, sorrisos e curiosidades. Em cada espaço de intervenção artística, formaram-se grupos ao redor dos artistas, acompanhando as evoluções dos desenhos, sendo inclusive um incentivo para eles que adoram a arte do grafite.

Som e rango

Quem apareceu no mutirão, pode também curtir o som do bastante conhecido na cena, o dublê de grafiteiro e DJ Olivier Sibel (Sins), que agitou a galera com muita black music (hip hop e raggae) da sua preciosa coleção. A turma ficou antenada nas aparições dos MC’s MVHemp e Muleca, ambos carioca, cantando músicas com letras de cunho social e politizada. Além de comandar o som, o DJ deu uma de backing vocal, durante a participação da dupla Muleca e o queniano Richard, chamado carinhosamente “o angolano”.

Para recarregar as baterias e manter o ritmo da galera, rolou uma deliciosa feijoada, preparada por Shirley Paranaguá, servida com salada, arroz, farinha e molho, no restaurante do Estaleiro Fantástico, que ainda está dando ibope até hoje.

Estiveram presentes: os grafiteiros Turno, Taizo, Prisk, Júlio Costa, Muleca e MVHemp (RJ), Mônica, Questão, Prusik, Sins, Bigod, Kura, Sthet, Sikli, Kesh, Tati Matos, Thiago (Marília/SP), Puma, Mesik Flops, Peacetu, Limpo, Kátia, With, Sisma Costa, Rb’k, Ixluxt, além de Pietro Gallina e Bogus (ICBIE), Nathy, Tata, Look, Duda, Richard, amigos e convidados.

Txt e fotos: JFParanaguá.

An Unforgettable Saturday:

The date January 24th, 2009 has entered into the annals of the graffiti gatherings in Salvador.

It was a spectacle of emotions, joy and music, with people mixing together, and there was also a memorable feijoada.  These were the main ingredients that guaranteed the success of the Graffiti Mutirão in Rua Clóvis Almeida Maia, in the Ribeira district, organized by the Nova10ordem group, to mark the birthdays of Júlio Costa and Muleca (RJ), as well as the exposition trademark A Arte na Rua of the photographer JF Paranaguá and the launch of the Projeto Oficina de Rua by the ICBIE.

Twenty-six grafiteiros gave a real show of creativity, with a generous gift of art offered to the whole community, transforming the local scenery.  Facades and walls of buildings, scattered along the main road and several side streets, were turned into canvases to show off the beautiful works that came to life spontaneously, or sometimes following the suggestions of the residents, through a heartfelt dialogue, taking the forms of different personalities, styles, fish, flowers, human figures, messages, and so forth.

The sharing between the graffiti artists and the local people was one of the mutirão’s most distinctive points.  The graffiti wasn’t the main objective, but was instead the strengthening of the identification with this kind of social activity, the friendship, the communion with the residents, through the union of different generations, arts, styles, races and beliefs, all in a harmonious familiarity. Everything that happened that day marked the lives of the people, fired by those who wanted to reach out to their neighbors.

Young people and small children were everywhere, and they were the strongest presences, with their irreverence, their smiles and their curiosity.  At every place where the artists worked, groups formed around them, accompanying the evolution of the pictures, egging them on by showing how much they adored graffiti art.

Tunes and food

Everyone who was at the mutirão also enjoyed the sounds of the multi-talented grafiteiro and DJ Olivier Sibel (Sins), who is well enough known in the local scene, as he spun out sets of black music (hip hop and reggae) from his precious collection.  He was joined by the MCs MVHemp and Muleca, both from Rio, belting out raps with lyrics full of social and political messages.  Besides working the turntables, the DJ even provided backup vocals to the duo of Muleca and the Kenyan Richard, affectionately called “o angolano”.

To recharge our batteries and maintain the crazy pace, a delicious feijoada, prepared by Shirley Paranaguá, was served in the restaurant the Estaleiro Fantástico, with salad, rice, farinha and bread, and everyone is still raving about it.

A list of the participants:  the grafiteiros Turno, Taizo, Prisk, Júlio Costa, Muleca and MVHemp (RJ), Mônica, Questão, Prusik, Sins, Bigod, Kura, Sthet, Sikli, Kesh, Tati Matos, Thiago (Marília/SP), Puma, Mesik Flops, Peacetu, Limpo, Kátia, With, Sisma Costa, Rb’k and Ixluxt, accompanied by Pietro Gallina and Bogus (ICBIE), Nathy, Tata, Look, Duda, Richard, friends and neighbors.

Text and photos: JFParanaguá.

(English translation below)

L’inaugurazione del Progetto Oficina di Rua

E’ con grande piacere che vorrei dare un annuncio finalmente positivo per il Progetto D’Artagnan Scuola Internazionale di arte e lingue dell’ICBIE, informando sia la nostra comunità locale che quella che ci segue fuori del Brasile: il Comune di Bologna in collaborazione con l’ARCI Solidarietà di Reggio E., con il Progetto Salvador Grafita della Prefeitura e noi dell’ICBIE, ha sovvenzionato un piccolo progetto! Si tratta della prima sovvenzione pubblica in assoluto, anche se di piccola entità, dopo quattro anni di intenso e faticoso lavoro senza nessun riconoscimento economico pubblico! Evviva! Speriamo che sia un segnale anche in tempi di recessione, che voglia significare l’inizio di una fase più armonica, organizzata, pianificata senza dover stare sempre col batticuore di “come faremo an andare avanti il prossimo mese…?”.
Penso sempre a D’Artagnan che nei momenti più brutti ci salva con una vendita di suoi quadri, ma soprattutto agli amici e a tutti quei sostenitori solitari, come pure alle associazioni e gruppi come l’ICBIE-Italia, Bridge to Bahia dell’AOSR, le maestre delle scuole elementari di Bassano del Grappa  e Verbania, la Scuola Media Statale  Moscati e il Liceo Socrate di Roma, la Lahn Artists di Limburg, la Arps Gallery di Amsterdam, la bella comunità di Spagna (Vero, Celeste, Jorge e Ivan), gli  EWB della Howard University, Rhythm of Hope Brazil, il gruppo Toby, Mary, Kate, Lee di NYC, Reggio Terzo Mondo, Buskers Festival di Ferrara, Jazz bar di Modena, agli artisti intorno a Guido Daniele di Milano e di Alberto Maganzini di Riva del Garda Trento, all’APA di Palermo etc etc. etc. (e mi scuso per chi sto dimenticando), che hanno creduto e credono in questo progetto e continuano nei casi estremi, come quello della recente raccolta che ha quasi superato i 10000 Euro (se alcune promesse saranno mantenute al 31/01), a rendere possibile il nostro lavoro per la comunità dei quartieri economicamente e culturalmente meno fortunati di Salvador di Bahia. Un grande ringraziamento ancora e sempre per questo bel risultato che ci permetterà di cavalcare il 2009 e riaprire i corsi che si era deciso di chiudere.

E allora in che cosa consiste questo progetto approvato in Emilia Romagna? Intanto ha un nome e si chiama Oficina de rua, e non è un progetto che riguarda solo Salvador ma prevede operazioni  simili da svolgere in altre due città del Nordest, Recife e Fortaleza. Poi questo megaprogetto coinvolge per altri versi anche altre città del Brasile con altre associazioni, ma non dobbiamo qui spiegare le sue articolazioni. L’idea di presentare  il progetto è nata a Reggio Emilia in un incontro all’ARCI Solidarietà tra lo scrivente,  Riccardo Faietti, Giulia Bassi e l’artista di rua baiano, Julio Costa.

Per andare subito al sodo il progetto prevede che noi dell’ICBIE per un anno dobbiamo offrire corsi di formazione professionale, i quali in parte saranno già attivi e in parte completamente nuovi da organizzare  per una 40 di ragazzi, con a capo dei coordinatori: gli artistas de rua, probabilmente Julio, Bigode, Marco, Fabio e Jodson (?). Si devono insomma preparare altri operatori sociali di intervento nei quartieri a rischio, per fare in un secondo momento del progetto lavori artistici con i ragazzini di strada in modo continuo e sistematico. Come appunto il primo gruppo storico sopra menzionato aveva tante volte svolto saltuariamente e in forma spontanea nelle strade del povero bairro di Massaranduba. Per questo il titolo di Oficina de rua ovvero tentare con disegno, graffiti, ceramica, musica e giochi di togliere tanti bambini dal pericolo e dalle tentazioni di copiare gli atti violenti e degradanti compiuti dagli adulti alla cui vista sono costantemente sottoposti nelle strade della miseria. Un progetto dunque che prevede un lavoro interno di preparazione nell’Istituto e poi rimanere base con le nuove squadre di intervento create quando si entrerà in azione nei luoghi più delicati dei quartieri difficili nella seconda metà del 2009.

Per tentare anche un continuo contatto con il territorio di intervento si dovranno organizzare alcuni mutirões ovvero feste di quartiere con musica, danze, cibi locali, disegnatori e pittori, imbianchini e operai in genere che possano abbellire e aggiustare qualche facciata fatiscente. Tutto ció per facilitare un contatto con la comunità propria di quel quartiere o di un altro, seguito dall’intervento direzionato agli incontri d’insegnamento negli stessi luoghi con i bambini di strada.

Per questo abbiamo voluto cominciare con un mutirão lo scorso sabato! Lo abbiamo pensato, non previsto dal programma del progetto a gennaio, come un’inaugurazione per cominciare a spiegare già da subito che cosa faremo durante l’anno. Lo abbiamo spiegato agli stessi artisti di rua, alla comunità locale che ha accettato gli interventi, ai musicisti e cantanti, ai cuochi. Quello che è accaduto il 24 gennaio scorso è stato straordinario! Nessuno in questa forma organizzata e differente lo aveva fatto mai. In genere erano stati alcuni isolati ed eroici artisti passati per alcuni momenti e poi scomparsi come angeli per andare in altri quartieri a spargere un poco di colore, di suono, di cibo, di felicità e di speranza: solo un assaggino di quello che dovrebbe essere invece quotidianamente compiuto per convertire la speranza di molti in reali possibilità di prepararsi  con lo studio e la volontà di apprendere un mestiere: in conclusione avere strumenti critici, di coscienza, sentirsi parte della società, senza più complessi di inferiorità o di esclusione, pronto a partecipare con tutti senza disparità ad una vita migliore per una società migliore.

Dimenticavo di dire che questa inaugurazione del progetto Oficina de Rua è coinciso con alcuni aniversari: uno di Julio Costa e un altro di alcuni anni di attività del nostro grande fotografo Paranaguà.

Pietro Gallina

The inauguration of the Street Workshop Project

It is with great pleasure that I finally make a positive formal announcement for the D’Artagnan International School of arts and languages at the ICBIE, informing both our local community and our followers outside Brazil: the City of Bologna, in collaboration with ARCI Solidarity of Reggio Emilia, together with the Salvador Grafita Project of the city government and the ICBIE, has underwritten a small project!  This represents absolutely the first public support, however modest, after four years of intense and exhausting work without any public economic recognition.  Hurrah!  We hope that this is a sign, even in times of recession, that signifies the beginning of a more harmonious, organized and better-planned phase, without always the palpitations of “how are we going to make it through next month…?”

I always think of D’Artagnan, who, in the worst moments, has saved us through the sale of his paintings, but above all, I am grateful to all the friends and to all those solitary supporters, as well as the associations and groups, such as ICBIE-Italia, Bridge to Bahia at AOSR, the elementary school teachers at Bassano del Grappa and Verbania, the Moscati State Middle School and the Socrate High School in Rome, the Lahn Artists of Limburg, the Arps Gallery in Amsterdam, the great group in Spain (Vero, Celeste, Jorge and Ivan), the EWB of Howard University, Rhythm of Hope Brazil, the friends Toby, Mary, Kate, Lee in NYC, Reggio Terzo Mondo, the Buskers Festival of Ferrara, the Jazz bar of Modena, the artists in the circles of Guido Daniele in Milano and of Alberto Maganzini at Riva del Garda Trento, the APA in Palermo etc etc. etc. (and I beg the pardon of anyone I have forgotten), who have believed and who continue to believe in this project, always there in the emergencies, as with the recent fund raising drive that has just about reached the goal of 10000 euro (if all the promises are met before January 31), making possible our work for the community of the economically and culturally less fortunate people of Salvador de Bahia.  A huge thank you once again for this splendid result, that will help us to operate during 2009 and re-open the courses that we had decided to close.

And so what is this project that has been approved in Reggio Emilia all about?  First of all it has a name, and it’s called Street Workshop, and it isn’t a project that concerns only Salvador, but plans similar operations to be put in action in two other cities of the Northeast, Recife and Fortaleza.  Furthermore, this mega-project involves others cities of Brazil in various ways, with other associations, but we don’t have to get into those details here.  The idea for the whole project was born in Reggio Emilia, during a meeting at ARCI Solidarity between the undersigned, Riccardo Faietti, Giulia Bassi and the Bahian street artist, Julio Costa.

To go immediately to the heart of the matter, the project calls for us at the ICBIE to offer courses for professional formation, some of which are already active and others that are completely new, to be organized for about forty youths, led by coordinators:  the street artists Julio, Bigode, Marco, Fabio and Jodson (?).   They basically have to prepare other social workers for tasks inside risky neighborhoods, preparing the ground for the second phase of the project, continuous and systematic artistic activities with the street kids.  This is only an expansion of the work already done spontaneously in the streets of the poor Massaranduba district by the core group of artists listed above.  And hence the title Street Workshop, meaning the attempt, through drawing, graffiti, ceramics, music and games, to save many children from danger, and from the temptations of copying the violent and degrading acts that are committed by the adults, acts that children constantly view in the miserable streets.

This is a project that therefore requires preparatory work within the Institute, which will then remain a base for the newly created intervention teams, when they will get into action in the most insecure parts of the difficult neighborhoods, in the second half of 2009.

In the attempt to form a continuous contact with the project’s territory, it will be necessary to organize several mutirões, or street parties, with music, dance, traditional food, drawers and artists, painters and simple workers, who can beautify and even repair the odd decrepit housefront.  All of this serves to make a contact with the real community of one area or another, followed by the focused intervention, aimed at educational meetings in the same locations with the street children.

And therefore we wanted to start with a mutirão last Saturday!  We thought it could be a sneak preview, anticipating the planned calendar, acting as an inauguration, to immediately begin to explain what we will be doing during the entire year.   First we explained everything to the street artists and to the local community, who agreed to the idea, and to the musicians and the singers, to the cooks.  What actually happened on the 24th of January was extraordinary!  No one ever attempted anything like this, all organized but all new.  Usually there were a few isolated and heroic artists who passed by for a few moments and then disappeared like angels, to go to other neighborhoods to share their warmth, their sounds, food and happiness, and hope:  only a little taste of what should instead be a daily fare, provided to transform hopes into real chances, to prepare the children with studies and instill in them the desire to learn a skill:  in conclusion, to give out critical tools, to form a consciousness, to make the children feel like a part of society, without inferiority complexes or barriers, ready to participate with everyone, without disparity, for a better life and for a better society.

I shouldn’t forget to mention that this inauguration of the Street Workshop project also coincided with a birthday and an anniversary: the first was Julio Costa and the other celebrated the beginning of the activity of our great friend, the photographer Paranaguà.

Pietro Gallina

(more photos will be posted soon!)

The ICBIE community is maturing, and it’s great to see.  After six years, our first students are now full-fledged adults, working in the neighborhood as respected artists, famous for their trips around the world.  The are applying the human philosophies imparted by Pietro and Marlene: activism and incessant work to make everyone’s life more meaningful.

Next Saturday, under the aegis of the ICBIE, Júlio is celebrating his birthday by organizing an open graffiti project, planned with local authorities and residents, to paint a long wall on Rua Clòvis Almeida Maia, a very familiar place for every ICBIE visitor, because it begins on the first corner down the road, where the famous “Teatro” Bar is located.  A mutirão is a kind of ‘Sixties-like happening, a community gathering where everyone brings their own paints and materials and, governed only the general theme of “theater,” the artists rely upon their spontaneous imagination and set to work, fueled by an MC and a DJ with a booming sound system and perhaps a band, letting the creativity flow.  By fortuitous coincidence, Júlio’s birthday coincides with the birthday of a carioca graffiti artist, Muleca, and is also the anniversity of the trademark “A Arte na Rua” of our great photographer friend Paranaguá, a man who would never miss a good Mutirão anyway.  Best of all, this combination assures this blog extensive and colorful articles in the days to come!

Here follows the official statement:

Grafite e música na Ribeira

Quem quiser pintar, traga a tinta, se não, venha ver a galera pintar e comemorar!  Com essa mensagem o grupo Nova10ordem, convida os grafiteiros para participarem do Mutirão, que será realizado no próximo sábado (24), na Rua Clóvis Almeida Maia,  bairro da Ribeira (foto).

O Mutirão da Nova10ordem é um evento comemorativo pelos aniversários de Júlio Costa, da grafiteira carioca Muleca (Samanta) e do segundo ano de criação da marca A Arte na Rua do fotógrafo JFParanaguá. Além disso, será inaugurado o projeto Arte de Rua de Bologna.

Conforme explicou o artista e grafiteiro Júlio,”esse dia é muito especial para o grupo. É um momento de integração e a oportunidade de reunir vários amigos para fazer o que gostamos: pintar! Colocar a mão na massa e deixar a criatividade fluir”. O muro da Associação de Moradores e as paredes das residências do local serão os suportes para as intervenções dos grafiteiros. “Apesar da escolha do tema Teatro, os artistas terão a liberdade de bolar outras coisas”, esclarece.

Alegria e diversão

A animação ficará por conta dos MC’s Muleca e seu amigo MVHemp do Comando Selva Orgânica (um dos pioneiros do mutirão no Rio de Janeiro), do DJ Olivier Sibel (Sins) e, provavelmente, a participação da Banda Ago Saund Sistem. O Mutirão da Nova10ordem é um evento comemorativo pelos aniversários de Júlio Costa, da grafiteira carioca Muleca (Samanta) e do segundo ano de criação da marca A Arte na Rua do fotógrafo JFParanaguá. Além disso, será inaugurado o projeto Arte de Rua de Bologna.

O evento conta com o apoio da Bomb Bahia, A Arte na Rua e do Instituto de Cultura Brasil Itália Europa (ICBIE).

Designer: Júlio Costa

Txt e foto: JFParanaguá.

Our dear friend and ever-faithful collaborator Paranaguá has sent this sweet bit of news, which is extraordinary, given the onslaught of holidays in Bahia.  He was kind enough to list them all:  first of all, yesterday was the hugely popular “Washing of Bonfim,” to be followed in rapid succession by “Seconda Gorda” on the 19th, the Feast of Yemanjá (02/02), the Feast of San Lazarus (11/02) and of course Carnaval (which runs from the 12th to the 18th of February).

BEIJO ROUBADO!

Esta foi uma das imagens que mais gostei da cobertura fotográfica do evento realizado pelo grafiteiro Ásia (Crew EGS), na Rua Tancredo Neves, bairro de Fazenda Coutos, Salvador-Bahia.

O garoto simula um beijo nos lábios da personagem do grafiteiro e artista plástico Júlio Costa (Crew Nova10ordem).

A STOLEN KISS!

This is one of the images that I like the best from the photographic service of the event done by the graffiti artist Ásia (from the crew EGS) that took place on Tancredo Neves street, in the Fazenda Coutos district of Salvador, Bahia.

The little boy is kissing the lips of a lady painted by the graffiti artist Júlio Costa (from the crew Nova10ordem).

The biggest ICBIE fundraising campaign ever finished yesterday and, although our goal of €10,000 was not reached, we are very pleased all the same.  Friends and supporters from all over the world came through generously, despite the economic crisis, showing that people really do care about the fate of our dear Institute.  This tangible sign of affection gives us renewed strength and enthusiasm, helping us to persevere and to overcome many obstacles, as we continue to help the people of Salvador.

A total of €7580 has been collected, and this will permit the opening of several courses that we had been forced to close due to the lack of funds.

We are extremely grateful for the support from all of our wonderful friends and we appreciate their sacrifices on our behalf.   Furthermore, many thanks go to everyone who helped us to launch this campaign and to spread our appeal.  We learned a lot!

Finally, for those who, for one reason or another, didn’t manage to make a donation, we are extending the campaign until the end of the month, in the hopes that we can reach our target.  Just follow this link to our main website, either to make a PayPal donation or to find the coordinates for a bank transfer.

Obrigado, Grazie, Danke, Merci, Gracias and THANK YOU from Pietro, Marlene and Roy!!!

The International Educator is distributed worldwide to English language international schools, where it is avidly read by teachers and administrators, thanks to its huge collection of job offerings, plus plenty of gossip about hirings, firings, promotions and awards.  The December issue carried an article that I wrote, explaining the work that the American Overseas School of Rome has instigated with its Bridge to Bahia Project, to help the poor kids of Salvador by helping the ICBIE.  Amazingly, they put a big color picture of Alagados kids on the front page!  (And I don’t even know who took it, seeing as the hundreds of photos by Silvia, Elena, Elisa, Guido, Claire and me all got mixed together, after the long day when Julio and Bigode took us to watch them paint the shacks.)

It’s a great bit of global publicity for the ICBIE, and it will encourage AOSR (and the Pan American School of Bahia) to continue to help us!

Roy Zimmerman

One of the really great things about the ICBIE is its network of friends;  people who come into contact with us and then continue to work on behalf of our community.  Today’s article intends to recognize the efforts of Giovanna Carnosa in Pescara.  During 2008, she spent six months at the ICBIE (together with our stalwart Marcella), and since her departure in September, she has continued to scheme up every possible way of helping the people of Ribeira.

First of all, she offered to bring Val up to Pescara, on her tour up the boot from Puglia to Venice, and, seeing as the weather was exceptionally cold, she cleverly arranged to take a trip up into the mountains so our Bahian girl could have a chance to ski and to play in the snow.  Of course, the girls had to sample the Abruzzi specialty, arrosticini, succulent bits of lamb broiled on a stick.

Besides playing the gracious hostess, Giovanna was also the behind-the-scenes instigator of the ICBIE Christmas party on the streets of Massandruba, with Pietro playing Santa.  She raised money among her friends in Italy, in order to purchase the big bag of gifts.  She also managed to get these wonderful pictures.  Brava, Giovanna!!!