IN-PERSON Barcelona. Section A

Abstract

Largo do Arouche has been militarized since São Paulo’s inception. From it’s origins of hosting military formations through to the modern battle versus gentrification, friction has been a constant. Over the last decades, the grunge-y, oft-avoided neighborhood has become a lightning rod of urban development. With the return of the moneyed, cultural elites to the center, Largo de Arouche find itself as a battlefield between real estate speculation, a city determined to “clean” this part of the city and those who fight tooth and nail to preserve it’s current melange. DIY community organizations have been defending the citizens right to the city via performances and events meant to spark the local population into action. Socially and economically marginalized people from around the metropolitan area have claimed this swath of downtown for their own for decades. Supporting them are artist-driven groups surrounded the plaza, giving a cultural cache high above the streets, in the surrounding apartments. This article looks at the duality of two organizations who have shaped the identity of Largo do Arouche in recent years. Colectivo Arouchianos, with their community driven efforts to support the local populace and ward off real estate developers and city hall. The other, Esponja, takes another route, located on the top of an apartment building overlooking the park, they have supported fringe artists and musicians, feeding the bubbling centro creative scene. From the streets to the rooftops, Largo do Arouche’s new army of queer militants have proven that this historical plaza refuses to lay back and take the onslaught/barrage from outside forces.