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The Political Graffiti of the World Cup

The anti-World Cup graffiti is not hard to find when walking around São Paulo.
All photos by the author

SÃO PAULO - In May, it was announced that the Brazilian World Cup team would be flying around the country in an airplane painted by well-regarded graffiti artists Os Gêmeos. Active since the late-80s, Os Gêmeos are part of of São Paulo's second generation of graffiti writers. One other artist that came from the same group, who goes by Speto, is responsible for a great deal of the Coca Cola company art related to Brazil and the World Cup.

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It's always good to remember that Coca Cola is one of the main sponsors of FIFA. I'm not trying to say that these works made for companies and institutions are graffiti, but they are appropriations of graffiti's ethos. The real graffiti is in the streets, though. It's the writing on the wall that speaks, often without any regard to the rules of grammar, the voice of discontent. It's clear from the paint-stained walls of the city, the people are unhappy with the government and FIFA.

VICE Sports correspondent Pedro Moreira lives in Brazil and will be providing colorful updates for all of us to enjoy throughout the World Cup.