Last week was the end of the exhibition "Olé" at the Wynwood Graffiti Museum, featuring Brazilian street artists such as Ise, Thiago Nevs, Finok and Skola (all part of the Vlok group, founded by the famous twin artists Osgemeos). From Villazan we would like to share the philosophy behind both the artists and the entity.

The word Olé, which gives the exhibition its title, refers to the chant that is always heard in the stadium during football matches, a representative sport of Brazil

If there is one thing these graffiti artists have in common, it is their emotional connection with Brazil, although each one then develops it in their own style (be it sculpture, lenticular printing, or traditional painting). In fact, the word Olé, which gives the exhibition its title, refers to the chant that is always heard in the stadium during football matches, a sport so representative of Brazil.  The origin of this use was in  1958 in Mexico, during a football match between Brazil and Argentina, when the player Garrincha repeatedly dribbled his opponent with fantastic moves. The crowd cheered every play and shouted "olé!", as it was customary to shout at a bullfight when the bullfighter taunts the bull with his red scarf. The shout of olé has become one of the most frequent acts at a football match, when a team is winning by a large goal difference. The artworks in the exhibition use the analogy of dribbling, football and the "olé" to talk about popular culture, marginality, graffiti and social problems.

Works of "Olé" range from bright colors and prints to black and white images and pure white sculptures. And they continue to do what street art does best: show how artists connect with their city. You can see this by looking at the artists' use of repurposed objects and images. Some works are covered in recycled spray paint cans; others show images of graffiti art directly in the background. The work of Ise (alias Claudio Duarte) is notable for pointing to the current socio-political climate in the South American nation.

"The Graffiti Museum was built specifically to celebrate graffiti as opposed to street art" Allison Freidin, co-founder of the museum, tells New Times Miami. In America's big cities in the late 1960s and early 1970s, kids invented a new art form that began by writing their names on the walls of their neighborhoods. Local governments launched clean-up campaigns and ordered the young writers arrested for vandalism, but the movement could not be stopped. The tireless young people moved forward at a feverish pace with creative innovations and inspired generations of new practitioners.

In America's big cities in the late 1960s and early 1970s, kids invented a new art form that began by writing their names on the walls of their neighborhoods

Before long, wall writings became more elaborate and decorative. Adopting unique and distinguishable meanings, such as arrows, wreaths and other innovations through design and color, they became the model for the labels, throw-ups, masterpieces, and elaborate works seen today.