Dree Urhahn and Jereon Koolhaas are the creators of a project that turned many poor neighborhoods from slums into artwork. They started as filmmakers for a documentary of a low income city in Rio. As their film was done shooting they came up with the idea to “plaster and paint” the unfinished homes of the town. This soon developed into them wanting to create “one big work of art” across the whole street. Urhahn and Koolhaas’ “design” caught the attention of the media and the press, leading them to find other areas that wanted the same. The large painting that went across dozens of houses and buildings had made this neighborhood pleasant. It had changed the townspeople’s lives, helping the outsiders see them as actual people and not “criminals.” After the help of numerous people, they were able to raise enough money to bring this to other areas in Rio, America, Curacao, and Haiti. This project had transformed not only cities but also people because of the new outlook and strong sense of community that it gave them.
Southan’s article, Is Art a Waste of Time?, speaks of the opinion effective altruists have on using different types of art as a way to help people. This article is written by a writer whose career is based on arts. The passage discusses how people who believe in effective altruism strongly insist on solely working to relieve poverty and those who are in need. Southan describes the idea of doing good deeds via artwork versus “just handing over the money.” The EA idea is to help those who suffer by working as hard as you can and then “donating as much of it as you can.” Southan starts to see that his original idea of helping others, which was creating an amazing movie, is not as helpful as he thinks. Although he may not be doing all he possibly can, I believe that at the end of the read, Southan seems content as he is.
I can draw a connection between the TED Talk given by Dree Urhahn and Jereon Koolhaas to Southan’s essay because of the strong use of art, the idea of helping others and trying to make a difference. Urhahn and Koolhaas lead conclusions to how their art project in the low income neighborhoods had impacted the lives of the inhabitants. This is a clear depiction of how art is worth it and how a change in perception can change your surroundings. Vila Cruzeiro had previously been described as a town full of “crime, poverty, and drugs”. Because of artwork this city has now been called “an open-air gallery.” Using art, Urhahn and Koolhaas have been able to change the perceptions of others leading slums to become more pleasant. Southan’s article talks about the importance of helping others and making a difference. I have learned, after reading both of these articles, that helping others is important and that this can happen in many forms.
