Dinâmicas de ocupação da rua em São Gonçalo-RJ: mobilizações e disputas em torno da prática do grafite

Abstract

This research aimed to investigate how public space is mobilized by graffiti artists in the municipality of São Gonçalo. The city, located in the periphery of Rio de Janeiro, is considered the birthplace of graffiti within the state. Currently, São Gonçalo is governed by a right-wing administration aligned with the conservative rhetoric of the far-right, represented by Mayor Nelson Ruas (2021–present). The city is currently implementing a graffiti-related project titled "Cidade Ilustrada" (Illustrated City), an initiative of the municipal government. In this current scenario, the research sought to explore the tensions and negotiations that arise in the relationships mobilized by graffiti artists with other city stakeholders, including the government. Conducted throughout 2023, the research employed a methodology that included a bibliographic review of graffiti-related themes and field research characterized by a qualitative approach. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight graffiti artists from São Gonçalo, accompanied by participant observation during their interventions in the city streets and within the "Cidade Ilustrada" project. The results of the research indicated that graffiti in the municipality involves various forms of street intervention, such as "commercial graffiti" and "street graffiti," both authorized and unauthorized. Each of these forms imposes different tensions on graffiti artists in their relationship with street space, including issues related to personal safety, the criminalization of graffiti, and the domestication of the activity. The current "Cidade Ilustrada" project has introduced contradictions to the local graffiti scene, as it is associated with episodes of repression against "street graffiti" and does not incorporate the aesthetics of the graffiti movement.