Mural Stop the Destruction (#KeepYourPromise) - Mundano
Imagine standing before a breathtaking mural that not only captivates with its sheer size but also tells a powerful story of environmental activism and indigenous resistance. Created by renowned Brazilian artist Thiago Mundano, 'Stop the Destruction' (#KeepYourPromise) is a monumental street art piece located in the heart of Bela Vista, São Paulo. This awe-inspiring mural, measuring over 30 meters high and 48 meters wide, features the striking image of indigenous leader Alessandra Korap Munduruku, emerging from cracked, drought-stricken soil, holding a protest banner that demands global attention. Each brushstroke of this massive artwork is a poignant reminder of the environmental disasters plaguing Brazil, crafted from pigments made from real disaster debris. Prepare to be moved and inspired as you witness this extraordinary piece of public art.
Created in October 2024 by Brazilian artivist Thiago Mundano, 'Stop the Destruction' (#KeepYourPromise) is a monumental 1,581.60 m² (over 30 meters high by 48 meters wide) street art mural located in Bela Vista, just two blocks from Avenida Paulista. The massive horizontal piece portrays indigenous leader Alessandra Korap Munduruku emerging from cracked, drought-stricken soil, holding a protest banner reading 'Pare a Destruição / STOP THE DESTRUCTION / #KEEPYOURPROMISE'. In a striking act of eco-artivism, the mural was painted entirely with pigments produced from real environmental disasters across Brazil: ashes collected from wildfires in the Amazon, Cerrado, Pantanal, and Mata Atlântica biomes, combined with flood mud from the historic 2024 disaster in Rio Grande do Sul, discarded demolition earth, and clay from the Sawré Muybu indigenous territory. The work was created in partnership with Stand.earth's Burning Legacy campaign and Amazon Watch to call attention to global corporate accountability in deforestation and controversial infrastructure projects like the Ferrogrão railway.
History
Thiago Mundano is one of Brazil's most celebrated street artists and eco-activists, renowned for pioneering the use of disaster residues to produce pigment for public art installations. His previous landmark projects include creating murals using toxic sludge from the 2019 Brumadinho mining dam collapse and wildfire ashes from the Pantanal and Amazon on Avenida Prestes Maia in 2021.
'Stop the Destruction' was inaugurated in October 2024 during one of the most severe drought and fire seasons recorded in Brazil. The mural honors Alessandra Korap Munduruku, an indigenous activist of the Munduruku people in the Middle Tapajós basin (Pará), who has led resistance against illegal mining, logging, and large-scale industrial transit developments through protected forests.
Fun Facts
- The paint was handcrafted using real environmental disaster debris: ashes from 4 Brazilian biomes (Amazon, Cerrado, Pantanal, Atlantic Forest), mud from the 2024 Rio Grande do Sul floods, and clay from Sawré Muybu indigenous land.
- Measuring 1,581.60 m² (over 30 meters tall and 48 meters wide), it is one of the largest street art murals in Latin America and the largest work ever created by Mundano.
- A team of 6 artists navigated 8 motorized scaffold cradles across one of the widest blind facades in São Paulo to complete the piece.
- The subject, Alessandra Korap Munduruku, is a recipient of the 2023 Goldman Environmental Prize (often called the 'Green Nobel') for her advocacy defending the Amazon and demarcating indigenous territories.
- The artwork was tied to an international campaign that sent posters stenciled with wildfire ashes directly to agribusiness executives in the United States.
Guide Tips
- Best vantage point: View from across Avenida Brigadeiro Luís Antônio near the bus stop shelter or from the open parking area at nº 2013 for an unobstructed, wide-angle view of the building facade.
- Getting there: Located just 2 blocks downhill from Avenida Paulista and a 5-minute walk from Brigadeiro Metro Station (Line 2 - Green).
- Photography: Use a 0.5x ultra-wide lens on your phone to capture the entire horizontal breadth of the 48-meter facade in a single frame.
Opening Hours
Open 24/7 (Public Outdoor Mural)
Location
More in Art
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