Other Street Art Projects
Welcome back to the kARTwe Kronicles. This blog is designed to give you bite-size and timely updates on the development and evolution of the kARTwe Project. If you are new to this blog, please check out my introduction to and explanation of the objectives and context of the kARTwe Project HERE
In this edition, I would like to take a look at similar street art projects around the world. In the research and preparation stage of the kARTwe Project, I studied similar initiatives in other countries. The entrepreneurs and visionaries behind these ventures served as my inspiration. The kARTwe Project is grateful for all that we have learned from them. Lets look at the initiatives that inspired me most.
Raghubir Nagar, New Delhi, India
The slum of Raghubir Nagar, in New Delhi, India was like every other slum on the planet. In 2019, a street art project turned this slum into a colourful environment. This served to uplift the whole community. This is what Raghubir Nagar looks like, because of this project.
Yogesh Saini, founder of the collective, said: ‘The aim was to bring some positive change and confidence in the locals, who were usually forgotten by society.’
Nagar was transformed by street art. In less than a month 15 to 20 volunteers refashioned the craggy facades of nearly a hundred structures in rainbow colours with huge murals:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/gallery/2020/jan/01/murals-delhi-slum-raghubir-nagar-in-pictures
Street Art Covid Education in Mathare, Kenya
Mathare is a collection of slums in Nairobi with a population of approximately 500,000 people. The population of Mathare Valley alone, the oldest of the slums that make up Mathare, is 180,000 people. In May 2020, a group of young artists, in Nairobi’s informal settlement Mathare used their talent to educate residents about how to prevent COVID-19.
Their medium of instruction was brightly coloured murals. A youth group, known as Mathare Roots Youth Initiative, came up with the idea after hearing about similar work in Sierra Leone during the Ebola outbreak. For more details about this exciting project see HERE
The Share the Word Project
Graffiti artist Seb Toussaint and French photographer Spag are using their artistic talent to give underprivileged neighbourhoods, around the globe, a colourful makeover. Part of the art collective Outsiders Krew, the talented twosome created Share the Word. This is a project that mixes graffiti, words, and art to draw attention to low-income neighbourhoods.
Launched in 2013, Toussaint and Spag first select a neighbourhood or area that they see as lacking in resources, and approach residents to find out what words they want to share and express. Toussaint then gets to work, creating diverse graffiti art that is centred on the residents’ words, transforming the walls of homes, businesses, and street ways into colourful and inspirational artistry.
Every place they go, the Outsiders Krew involve the local children, giving them paintbrushes and spray cans to contribute to the murals and add their own unique touches. Share the Word has completed projects in Colombia, Indonesia, Kenya, and Nepal.
For more information on Share the Word see:
https://spagphotography.com/portfolio/share-the-word-project/
A Farvela in Brazil
Artists Jeroen Koolhaas and Dre Urhahn create community art by painting entire neighbourhoods and involving those who live there — from the favelas of Rio to the streets of North Philadelphia. What has made their projects succeed? In this funny and inspiring talk, the artists explain their art-first approach — and the importance of a neighbourhood barbecue. This is what they were able to do in Brazil:
I like the approach taken by these two artists. They deliberately set out to transform a slum into an art gallery. However, my last example is the one that motivated me most.
Jodipan, Indonesia
Jodipan is a vibrant, formerly impoverished riverside village in Malang, Indonesia. It has been transformed into a colourful “Rainbow Village” by university students who painted houses in bright hues, creating a popular tourist spot known for its photo opportunities, local crafts, and community revitalization through tourism.
The Jodipan community lies beneath a railway bridge. It features bright alleys, murals, and a glass-bottom bridge connecting to another transformed area, with visitors paying a small fee that supports local residents. This short video will give you a more complete view of how Jodipan “Rainbow Village” became a tourist destination.
All these projects were driven by ordinary people like you and me. Perhaps this will inspire you to make a difference, right where you are.
One person cannot change the world
but YOU can change the world for one person.