This article by the art critic Stella Teixeira de Barros provides a general overview of Brazilian urban art presentations and performances since the 1960s. It also classifies the production of “street art” in three basic categories: 1. Anonymous productions staged on city streets, with no institutional connections or support; 2. Artists’ installations, performances, and ephemeral events expressed in languages that are “compatible” with market values; and 3. Established artists who, for one reason or another (in some cases due to the nature of the project), decide to present their work in the street. Teixeira de Barros refers to the fact that the official art circuit has recently begun to include certain works that were once considered of no interest at all, and were in fact classified as “alternative” or even “subversive” works that blurred traditional boundaries between artists and communities. The critic also identifies some of the “open air” group exhibitions that were organized in the 1980s in Recife, Porto Alegre, and São Paulo, and mentions the founding of artists’ groups and their urban performances, including 3Nós3, Manga Rosa, and Viajou Sem Passaporte. She also recalls exhibitions such as Bandeiras na Praça, presented in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, among other initiatives and events. She quotes descriptions of the event provided by participating artists, including: Hudinilson Jr., Antonio Henrique Amaral, Cláudio Tozzi, Nelson Leirner, Marcello Nitsche, and members of the Manga Rosa group.

In this article the art critic Stella Teixeira de Barros identifies some of the reasons that drove contemporary Brazilian artists to take their work to the streets. Their motivations ranged from a desire to avoid the gallery and museum circuit in order to expose their work to a larger audience without getting involved in the market or the official art system, to a desire to improve the urban landscape and contribute to the revitalization of towns and cities. This process also challenged established criteria concerning the “limits” and the “essence” of art. Teixeira de Barros mentions the noticeable difference between “the ephemeral art” presented in urban spaces and the “marketable product” shown in galleries. Referring to the former as “anarchic” and “subversive,” however, connotes a form of political protest that is usually associated with demonstrations that use the street as a soap box.