an ethnography of São Paulo's graffiti.
2016-2018 /// MD in Social Anthropology, University of Sao Paulo (Sao Paulo, Brazil)
In this ethnography, the graffiti practices of São Paulo were, at the same time, the focus of analysis and reflection and a window to think and produce knowledge about the urban territory. Two main objectives triggered the research: to investigate the street uses of these practices and the possibilities of cities that emerge in this interaction. The fieldwork focused mainly on the street painting processes, which put the research in motion through the urban fabric.
I structured the analysis into two interconnected parts in the thesis —on which the book launched in 2023 is based. The first part delved into the history of graffiti practices in São Paulo without losing sight of the interconnectedness with other contexts, the exchanges and collaborations with various street painting practices, the diverse narratives around these activities, and the intricate interactions established with different agents of the public administration. The second part centered on a situational analysis of three painting processes. This analysis revealed different ways of interpreting, utilizing, and appropriating the city. From this approach, it was possible to apprehend graffiti practices as a practice that not only aesthetically modifies the surfaces but also calls into question the effectiveness of certain urban and legal norms.
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related publications
[PT] Book: Cidade: modos de ler, usar e se apropriar
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photo essay (2016-2017)
During this ethnography, I discovered my passion for photography. Below I present a selection of my first photo essay.
