PARIS 68

There is a moment, a small, very fleeting, brief and luminous point in time, when a person can feel as if they are no longer bound by soundlessness. They pick up their spray can, face the wall, and in that instant, bravery burns bright. It is a revolution not against only authority, but against the absurdity of silence—against the notion that through inaction, injustice will thrive and persevere. In relentless resistance, and only in it, we find our humanity. Our bravery.

The story of this show is a story of bravery inspiring more bravery. A story in which the fighting spirits of young French protestors of the 1960's made its way to Brazil in the 2020´s, and into the heart of a young artist who would go on to spark new life into their discourse.

One day, looking at a spray can,Pedro Real had his curiosity awakened. It read “Paris 68”. What an odd name for a distinctly Brazilian spray brand, right? As it turns out, the name is an homage to the protests of May 1968, in Paris, in which graffiti was used as a means to power the revolutionary efforts. Pedro became  fascinated with these events, where he saw an epic and emotional story of revolt, violence, democracy , struggle and deep beauty.

The May 1968 protests in Paris had a significant relationship with graffiti. These protests are widely regarded as one of the most significant times graffiti was used as a political force in recent history. It is no coincidence that in Brazil, a country where graffiti was a tool utilized to fight oppression in the 1984 military dictatorship, brands would honor revolutionary efforts.

This exhibition is not merely an aesthetic effort. It is the showdown between Pedro and his era. For him, the question is not whether art can change the world, but whether he could justify living without attempting to. If you have ever felt the crippling weight of silence, the absurdity of inertia, and the burning need to respond—then you, too, have already picked up the can.