Artistic painting in protected urban places in Brazil: its limits and possibilities

Abstract

Cities exist to make possible human coexistence and daily life sharing. As habitat, cities are the setting for various manifestations, including artistic ones, revealed by their architectural forms, lifestyles, as well as by the perception and attitudes of those who inhabit them. Some cities become monuments and parts of their territories are governed by special, more restrictive laws. A protected historical building requires a different way of exercising property rights, with specific obligations for owners and neighbours, which makes it a unique place. This article is an attempt to understand artistic manifestations, especially paintings, in protected historical buildings, with the goal of highlighting the main issues and establishing a legal outline of preservation laws. The expected result is to contribute to a better understanding of the topic through a panorama and contextualization of the discussion, as well as legislative documents and relevant bibliography, focusing on the understanding of the performance limits of the supervision by the Brazilian Public Administration of the compatibility between the preservation of cultural assets, the realization of democracy, and the exercise of cultural rights. The research methodology consisted of a literature search, through the analysis of books, scientific articles from magazines and peer-reviewed journals, as well as documental research relative to specific legislation.