“Barraqueiras” and heroines: feminist writings on Porto Alegre’s streets

Abstract

When walking through the streets of Porto Alegre, we face many messages directed to women, talking about feminism, lesbian visibility, violence against women, empowerment, among others. These words are painted, “pichadas”, glued, they are on walls, buildings, poles, in a way of doing politics that mixes with urban art. In this article I investigate women who use urban space as a canvas to spread their message. By diverting from the standard norm, where the domain of the gaze and the public space is assumed to be masculine, I talk about the visual and artistic production of militancy related to gender issues and how this is reflected in the occupation of the streets. From photographic observation and cataloging of messages and interviews with artists, I research on feminist activism tactics related to the act of producing art and occupation of the city by female bodies.

Keywords:
feminism; activism; urban art; body