Plantio Crew make their mark on Lapa
Nobody could accuse Rio's buzzing Lapa district of being anything other than colourful, and this month the colours are brighter than ever thanks to an exhibition of 'street art' (graffiti, by any other name) by local collective Plantio Crew. Within the confines of the ever-lively Estrela da Lapa venue (head here at weekends to catch sets from some of the city's hippest DJs), the exhibition showcases images of Plantio Crew's bold, inventive and sometimes provocative street art emblazoned across the city.
Street art is something that is taken extremely seriously in Rio, and few can fail to admire the skill and the imagination involved. According to Plantio Crew: "The place of each work is strategically considered before the painting begins. This is interactive art - to beautify ugly streets, to brighten a little the gray aspect of the city, and break the monotony of the streets. The spray can becomes an extension of the artist's body - through it the graffiti artist expresses their emotion, liberates their adrenaline and marks an area of the street as their artistic territory."
Want to see for yourself? Head along to Estrela da Lapa, at Avenida Mem de Sá, 69 .