UOL News

Vila Madalena: discover the artistic district

Vila Madalena is a very cool neighborhood in São Paulo, which hosts a wide variety of graffiti and artists. On Sundays it turns into an open park, featuring musicians, concerts and festivities.

In 2017, I took a group of foreigners to discover, admire and take in the magic and creativity of Vila Madalena. We discovered all sorts of food fairs, shows and  activities that were, and are, inspired by the creative economy.

I was in awe of the place, and also got to know Béco do Batman (“Batman’s Alley”), which is well-known for its graffiti. I took part in a tour, mostly alongside foreigners as well as some Brazilians, and spoke with a journalist from UOL, noting that I had never seen so many artists together in one place.

For some outsiders, this explosion of creativity was even more of a surprise. For example, a tour participant from Iran said he does not have this type of art in his country. It’s a real clash of cultures.

The resulting article, together with photos of some graffiti from the area, can be read on the UOL’s website.