December 10, 2021.

Whoever walks through the Historic Center of Porto Alegre noticed that Praça Otávio Rocha is gaining color. Until December 10th, four black artists from RS, SC and SP, who are references in urban art in the country, are working on the painting of Mural Aurora Negra in two gables of the former Master Hotels. The work is a collective construction of artists Braziliano, Felipe Reis, Gugiê and Negritoo and preserves the lines and style of each one. The assistant artists Trampo and Ofavo supported all the development.

Artists and their inspirations

The art of Mural Aurora Negra was elaborated in four parts, bringing a little of the history and traits of each of the artists. “Projecting who we are as the stories, possibilities and ancestry of our Afro-centered visions is a way of building, through new feelings, a possible future”, says Felipe Reis, who is also an art educator. He worked directly with Gugiê, who lives in Florianópolis, in creating the work painted on one of the facades. “I like to think that the baby is a developing human being, full of the future. It depends on an entire community—a huge and complex network—to tread its path, representing a future struggle. In this work I bring a re-reading of an old poster that said ‘react to racial violence: kiss your black woman in a public square’. Based on this reflection, in my kiss, I want to hope through affection, interacting with the character of my dear colleague Felipe Reis”, explains the artist.

On the second façade, the mask designed by Braziliano, from Santa Maria, calls for another important reflection: “Connecting with the mask to acquire its characteristics in a rite of transformation: where half-closed eyes symbolize a peaceful attitude, self-control and patience. A straight nose means determination and decision. A small mouth is humility. A large and prominent forehead, wisdom”, he narrates like a poem. His partner, Negritoo, came from São Paulo: “To contribute to the Aurora Negra mural, he brought representation, strength and the imposingness of black women through their striking expression and colors that make them stand out amidst the troubled Historic Center of Porto Alegre. In addition, the final work, together with Braziliano, refers to the ancestry of black people in order to encourage the search by the strength of our roots so that we don’t forget where we came from and the importance we should have”, he adds.

The mural

To support the audience in interpreting the work, the group created a manifesto: “In our black consciences there are no margins, because we are the center of our stories — stories of affection, pride, struggle and preservation. Feelings concentrated in a sensitive kiss in our children, future afro utopias with our little kings and queens, masks bare the face and open portals to other times. Gratitude for the lineages that brought us here and put us with our chins held high, empowering our poetry. Keeping in mind that for our heads to be in the clouds, it is important that your feet are on the ground — watching the new day, a new dawn, the ‘Dark Dawn’”.

To paint the gables, which together have 648m² — more than 280 liters of paint and varnish and more than 100 spray cans will be applied. Currently, it is the façade with the largest painted artwork in the city. The activities started on November 15 and should include 20 days of work involving 35 professionals in the project, including artists, assistants, producers, technicians, engineers, security, among others. The painting is located at 221 Rua Senhor dos Passos.

Revitalizing the Center

With this work, Porto Alegre joins other Brazilian capitals, where painting murals on large gables is already a reality. The Aurora Negra Mural is the fifth public art on the facades of buildings located in the central region of the state capital. In addition to modifying the urban landscape, projects like this have an important social impact, causing reflection and contributing to the economic, cultural and social development of the city.

“In addition to individual benefits for citizens who relate to these images: there are improvements in health, cognitive and psychological development and also in interpersonal bonds”, says Amorim, who also organizes the Festival Arte Salva.

With the realization of the production company Pólen – Arte em Movimento — by the curator, Vinicius Amorim —, the initiative has the support of the Municipality of Porto Alegre and cultural encouragement from Grupo Carrefour Brasil. “The company made eight commitments to contribute to the fight against structural racism. We understand that the encouragement of art with this theme, being legitimately produced by those who speak, opens up space for reflection. We are very happy to deliver this project to the city of Porto Alegre, opening a dialogue with artists who are so talented and committed to the cause. We hope that our actions will multiply with investments from other companies”, explains Lucio Vicente, Sustainability Director at Carrefour.

Below, check out images of the work.

Sobre o Grupo Carrefour Brasil  

Há mais de 46 anos no país, o Grupo Carrefour Brasil é líder de mercado de distribuição de alimentos. A partir de uma plataforma omnicanal e multiformato, reúne operações de varejo e Cash & Carry, além do Banco Carrefour e de sua divisão imobiliária, o Carrefour Property. Atualmente, conta com os formatos Carrefour (hipermercado), Carrefour Bairro e Carrefour Market (supermercado), Carrefour Express (varejo de proximidade), Carrefour.com (e-commerce), Atacadão (atacado e atacado de autosserviço), além de postos de combustíveis e drogarias. Presente em todos os Estados e Distrito Federal, sua operação já abrange 779 pontos de vendas. Com faturamento de R＄ 81,2 bilhões em 2021 e mais de 100 mil colaboradores no Brasil, a empresa é a segunda maior operação dentre os países nos quais o Grupo Carrefour opera. A companhia se destaca ainda por ser uma das maiores empregadoras privadas do país e uma das 20 maiores empresas listadas na bolsa brasileira (B3). Além disso, tem focado em democratizar cada vez mais o acesso da população à alimentação saudável, promovendo o movimento Act For Food. No mundo, o Grupo Carrefour atua em mais de 30 países e, nos próximos anos, implementa estratégia prevista no plano Carrefour 2022, por meio da qual lidera intenso movimento de omnicanalidade, transformação digital e transição alimentar para que seus clientes consumam ainda melhor em qualquer lugar. Com mais de 320 mil colaboradores e 12 mil lojas espalhadas pela Europa, Ásia e América Latina, está presente na vida de mais de 105 milhões de clientes. Em 2021, a receita global da companhia totalizou € 81,2 bilhões. Clique aqui e conheça mais sobre o Grupo. 

Informações para a imprensa:   

Grupo Carrefour Brasil – (11) 94195-4592 | [email protected]