The Power of Art

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I watched the TED talk about Haas&Hahn and what they did: really changed the communities they visited. The world saw these communities associated with problems like crime, poverty, and the violent drug war. The poor communities were also viewed as ugly, but Haas and Hahn saw them differently. They started off in Rio to film for a documentary about the life in favelas, the Brazilian slums. They noticed the purpose of these favelas and it shaped the way the viewed art. The favelas were built from the ground up with no plan so a lot of them weren’t finished and gave the city a bad look. Haas and Hahn looked at all the favelas on the hill and wanted to paint the buildings to give the cities significance and beauty. The way I look at how they accomplished this was not just about what they physically did to the buildings, but how they incorporated entire communities into their plans and had them help do the paintings and designs. It brought meaning and joy to these peoples’ lives. They all got to know each other and contribute to the result.

The way Haas and Hahn look at art is as though it has no limits. They traveled the world to bring beauty and joy to small communities by painting the buildings. They want to interact with people and create relationships simply through art. It brings everyone in the area together to contribute to the ultimate goal – joy.

2 Comments

  1. ecote4

    I really like what they did and I think you are right on how they view art. They brought communities together and made the places they live in beautiful and unique. I really like how you said that their goal was to bring joy to the community, especially since thats exactly what they did. They made a positive impact on the whole community with their artwork. They proved that artwork is not a waste of time by showing how something so simple can bring so many people together.

  2. ryan sheahan

    I enjoyed seeing what they did and how the art really effected them. I agree with your view of art and how art effects people. art brings people closer and this blog states that many times. to strengthen your blog I think you could have input more of your specific ideas and thoughts as to how this art work helped the community. great job on your blog!

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