The Metropolitan Municipality of Lima's City Service sector, under the mayor Susana Villarán, has begun placing murals in unsanitary points of the city center as a beautification initiative. Here's our first intervention with
grafitero, RAF, on a street where overconsumption of alcohol, prostitution, unruly garbage disposal and public urination were some of the main issues.
1. RAF took only a few days to complete this mural...
2. The archangel is meant to inspire a sense of dignity and strength,
crushing a demon with his left foot. The Catholic/Action Comic imagery has
seemed to demand respect in this neighborhood. Finito!
3. A happy neighbor commits to making sure the spot stays clean. It's right around the corner from the beautiful, bright white San Martín square, on Contumazá.
Municipal workers prep the wall of a
quinta on Miró Quesada street in the historic Barrios Altos neighborhood.
Many quintas were once large plantations on the outskirts of the city center that have now become shared housing. After a few too many wars, economic recessions and the terrorism of the 1980's, this neighborhood has lost its grandeur and has now become one of the most dangerous and neglected parts of Lima. But as it's only a few minutes from Lima's main square, part of UNESCO's World Heritage site, and has a rich
criollo music history, Barrios Altos remains a powerful part of Lima's identity and has finally begun to get attention from its municipality. Here we begin our second intervention.
¡Gato !
Before... (the sidewalk was also repaired as part of the intervention).
After.
San Martín de Porres is a prominent AfroPeruvian saint in Lima. Since the quinta is named after him, the neighbors thought it appropriate, and inspiring, to have his portrait on their façade where garbage accumulated.
Young residents at the Quinta San Martín admire RAF's piece.
After a few weeks, the Relima container placed across the street was being used instead of the sidewalk.
Mary and Joseph.
Arnold Millet, Chief of City Services, analyzes Raf's work.
Everyone's involved!
Extra grass from Areas Verdes, in charge of Lima's green spaces, was even used.
Carlos Benites spent hours measuring these pyramidal shapes to make a star.
So beautiful.
The gals, MariLu, Beatriz and Evelyn.
Finally product. Surprisingly enough, we didn't win! A much more traditional nativity scene did.
