During one ten-day period, four robberies and kidnappings took place at the intersection of Padre Antônio Tomás and Eng. Satnana Júnior avenues. Artist José Guedes heard from friends the tales that would inspire another of his urban interventions. “Permitido” (Allowed) is the title of work that he took to the streets with a mix of humor and indignation: a mock “allowed here” traffic sign displayed a black mask at its center. “To deal with the figure of the thief from the point of view of punishment would be superficial,” said the artist. “I tried to call attention not only to the effect but to the cause of the problem. That explains the use of an official symbol, linked to traffic signs. The question contained in the image is: so is it OK to assault here? and why did things reach this point.”
“Permitido” was seen by few. The sign remained up for only two weeks before - ironically, doing justice to the message – it disappeared from the lamppost. “I don’t know if it was stolen, taken down by the authorities, or whisked away by one of my friends who confessed that they’d like to hang it on the walls of their homes,” said Guedes, amused by the fact. He’s already rolled up his sleeves to create a replacement sign, and he promises spin-offs. “I want to address the issue of the lack of security in different ways, always using mock traffic signs,” he said.
The agencies responsible for Fortaleza’s traffic sings failed to respond to Guedes’ inquiries. But he was pleased by the response he got from someone distributing publicity flyers in the area. “That’s a warning that there are lots of thieves around here,” the person told Guedes. People have telephoned to offer praise and express bewilderment. “One friend called and confessed that he thought the sign had something to do with carnaval,” he laughed.
His urban intervention is still a painting, the artist believes. “It is a minimalist painting with a social connotation,” he said. Guedes customarily puts aesthetic concepts to the test in the streets while at the same time discussing urban problems and reform. During the last election campaign he pasted black-and-white posters of his own face, yawning and frowning, on lampposts next to those of legitimate candidates. In São Paulo he painted a wide crosswalk in Ibirapuera Park that, with the permission of the mayor’s office, has been incorporated as a permanent feature of the city’s largest recreational area. In Rio de Janeiro, he showed and distributed postcards with the landmark Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer statue) missing from the landscape, provoking the cariocas.
Translated and published with the permission of the author. Originally published in the Fortaleza daily newspaper “O Povo” on October 14, 2004.
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