One of the largest urban art galleries in Brazil

Itapevi City Hall organizes new West Side Gallery with the biggest names in national and international graffiti

Espaço is one of the largest urban art galleries in Brazil and in meters it is four times bigger than Beco do Batman in the capital

This Monday (24), City Hall continues with work on the new West Side Gallery, located in the heart of the city, in the West Corridor, curated by the artist Sipros. With 630 linear meters and 3,784 square meters, this urban gallery is one of the largest in Brazil, almost four times larger than the famous Beco do Batman, in Vila Madalena, in São Paulo.

The space will feature works by nationally and internationally recognized artists, such as Crânio, Binho, Cripta Djan, Mari Monteiro, Onesto and Tuka, who have been engaged in their work since last week. In total, 25 artists were invited to paint the gallery, including 13 residents of the municipality. Among the graffiti artists, Rio Grande do Sul Tio Trampo was invited to bring a message of support to the Rio Grande do Sul people affected by the floods. International artists such as Koka (Mexico) and Rosk (Italy) also participate in the project.

The inauguration of the new space will be on June 29th, starting at 10 am, in the West Corridor (Avenida Feres Nacif Chaluppe) with the completion of the work. The event will feature the 2nd Trap Fest Itapevi 2024, several activities for children and a food court with food trucks.

Trap artists will perform: All Prata, 19 Priv, F*land, Lud1, Mano Alex, Nicolazx, Real Mathe, Cedega Records, Buthi, Dj Mc, Luluhzão, RCP, Hounds Label, Iambarreto, Sagal, SSNTSX, Saéd , Lux, Kay2k, Soliboy, Reis and Duneves.

“Urban art is important for citizens, it brings beauty and improves the appearance of our city, providing more dignity and leisure options for the population”, highlighted Mayor Igor Soares (Podemos).

Space Revitalization

The revitalization takes place five years after the delivery of the first West Side Gallery, which took place in August 2019. Previously, the area was deteriorated. The initiative has zero cost for the City Hall, with the company Menumídia being the winner of the public call, offering support for graffiti.

About West Side Gallery

The artists Apuros, Area Brasil, Area Perna, Binho, Brisados, Crânio, Cripta Djan, Goy, Koka, Mari Monteiro, Mazé, Obarbosa, Onesto, Oxil, Projeto Grafitar, Rosk, Serjão Santa Tinta, Sipros, Snak12, Spice Cris, Tchonys Gueto, Godoy, Tio Trampo, Tioch and Tuka will dedicate weeks to their drawings. In total, 25 invited artists paint the gallery, of which 13 are residents of the municipality.

Where did the inspiration come from?

The inspiration for the West Side Gallery came from Germany's capital, Berlin, where the East Side Gallery revitalized a deteriorated area, transforming it into an iconic tourist spot.

Find out more about the artists

Apuros, who has been involved in the world of graffiti for 18 years, began his journey in the art of Bomb and today stands out for Piece and Wild Style.

Area Brasil, since 2003 he has been part of the collective Círculo Forte, participating in the exhibition “Na Luta na Lata” at the National Museum of the Republic, in DF.

Area Perna, from Itapevi, started in the street movement in 2001, carrying out work painting stairs and participating in Hip Hop Week.

Binho, one of the pioneers of street art in Brazil and Latin America since 1984, has works in cities such as San Thiago, Buenos Aires, Nagoya, Tókyo, Osaka, Paris, Los Angeles, Miami, NYC, Quito, Hong Kong, Beijing, Amsterdam , Berlin, Accra, Tunisia, among other locations.

Brisados Wile, who started in 2001 and is part of the Brisados family founded in 1998, initially focused on graffiti and is now a street artist and lyricist.

Crânio, a visual artist from the Tucuruvi neighborhood, in the capital, is known for his indigenous blues. His works, which mix festive homage and acid denunciation, are on display around the world and in several exhibitions in Brazil.

Cripta Djan grew up in Itapevi and became a lifelong street artist, after meeting pixo at the age of 12. For the artist, pixo is a way of political positioning and of claiming the city's streets.

Goy, a self-taught visual artist and cultural producer from the Mooca neighborhood, began her graffiti journey in 2008. Her works feature a poetic aesthetic, divided between the abstract and the figurative, with the use of saturated colors and strong lines.

Koka, from Mexico City, specializes in airbrushing and large format aerosol painting. He aims to recover urban spaces and has participated in several competitions and exhibitions in Mexico and other countries.

Leon, from the North Zone of São Paulo, started graffiti in 1998. Graduated in Visual Arts, he participated in projects such as the Open Museum of Urban Art and the 23 de Maio Graffiti Project. He is influenced by the Throw-Up style.

Godoy, Emerson, 39 years old, has been in the graffiti scene since 2008, going by the code name “Godoy”. He is a resident artist from Itapevi, living in Cohab, at the end of the West Zone.

Mari Monteiro, from Bauru, in the interior of São Paulo, is an LGBTQIA+ artist and educator who has found her expression in graffiti since 2015. Her art explores abstract shapes and vibrant colors, giving new meaning to letters and words.

Maze, from Itapevi, started graffiti in 1999. Her style is made up of wild style, with colorful letters, and figurative style, with cartoon characters and customization of pieces.

Barbosa, with around 16 years in the graffiti scene, is known for his iconic characters with striking expressions and vibrant colors. He participated in several events.

Onesto, from Freguesia do Ó in SP, is a painter, sculptor and multimedia artist. He uses discarded materials in his “artistic interventions” in abandoned spaces, seeking to requalify these places.

Oxil, from Itaquera – SP, started graffiti at the age of 13 and is now recognized in the graffiti scene. He participated in the Meeting of Style, in Peru, and in the creation of the largest mural in Latin America (Mural da 23 de Maio).

Projeto Grafitar, an urban art collective aimed at women in Itapevi, offers workshops, festivals and social actions, promotes the inclusion of artists in the art market and boosts the creative economy.

Rosk, from Sicily – Italy, is known for his hyper-realistic and dreamlike style, with works spread across the world. He worked on artistic projects for international brands and carried out urban interventions to requalify spaces.

Serjão Santa Tinta, who started in the 1980s with silk screen, became a tattoo artist and graffiti artist. He founded Santa Tinta Ateliê in Itapevi in 2011, influencing new artists in the city.

Sipros was born in Itapevi and started in the world of graffiti in 1997. His characters have big ears, called 'Big Ears'. He participated in group exhibitions in Brazil and abroad such as the United States, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Italy, the Netherlands and China.

Snak13, graffiti artist and graphic designer, started graffiti in 1998 and participated in major events such as Meeting of Style Brasil and 100 years of Japanese Immigration. His style is focused on Cartoon and Digital Illustrations.

Spice Cris, who had her first contact with the street movement in 2001 in Itapevi, explores colors and creativity with a feminine touch in her lyrics. Another artist from the city of Itapevi is Tchonys Gueto.

Tio Trampo, from Porto Alegre – RS, is known for his social work, participating as a volunteer in workshops for children and teenagers in communities, in addition to transmitting knowledge at universities and workshops.

Tioch, from Brasilândia – SP, has been a street writer since 2009 and transmits his knowledge acquired on the streets through workshops. His art reflects the meaning of being a child, with characteristic features of comics.

Tuka is a pioneer in urban art, starting with graffiti in 2005. She studied Industrial Design (Design) and a degree in Visual Arts, and is currently an art educator and advisor in social projects, workshops and cultural events.

West Side Gallery II

In July 2020, City Hall promoted the second phase of the graffiti festival, with the participation of 17 artists from Itapevi and Greater São Paulo, in artistic interventions on Avenida Feres Nacif Chaluppe. The event took place on the stretch between the Skate Park and the bus stop, close to the CPTM Itapevi train station. The municipal administration's proposal was to value women's work, with the motto “Girl Power”, coloring more than 1,200 m² of the CPTM wall, in the West Corridor, in the Center.

West Side Gallery II

In 2022, West Side Gallery Phase III's graffiti production resulted in the painting of a total of 164 linear meters of art (238 m²). The initiative was carried out through the Aldir Blanc Federal Culture Incentive Law. The graffiti took place on the wall of the CPTM Engenheiro Cardoso train station, provided by the concessionaire Via Mobilidade, on the West Corridor towards the Center.

Adding phases I and II of the West Side Gallery, Itapevi gained 5,312 m² of graffiti painting, becoming one of the largest urban art corridors in the metropolitan region of the state of São Paulo and Brazil. Around 30 artists participated in the project, contributing significantly to the cultural and aesthetic appreciation of the city.

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One of the largest urban art galleries in Brazil