Abaixe o vidro. Tire o capacete: a pichação de muros como registro dos conflitos entre facções em Fortaleza

Abstract

“The present work presents a qualitative analysis of the contemporary scenario of the production of “pichações” by “facções” in the city of Fortaleza- Brazil. Addressing issues related to safety perception and violence within the urban edges, through the study of public domain images available on the internet of "pichações” and “graffiti” made by several of these criminal groups, on news portals, social networks and through captured photos by ground-level street mapping tools. Problematizing the use of graffiti on walls as a new way for organized crime to become even more present within the urban scenario and give vent to its symbology and authorial messages directed at different audiences, reinforcing its authority over a territory. By studying “pichações” considering factors that led to the current context in which “facção” operate, we bring to the debate a greater focus on issues such as social inequality, violent sociability and organized crime to analyze how these groups communicate, using the space around them and demarcating territories in their own interests, creating a new type of urban zoning based on the control of these collectives, challenging the powers of the state and creating their own laws.