HAITI PAINTING
Port au Prince, 2013-2016.
In 2015, Dutch aid organization Cordaid invited Haas&Hahn to visit Port-au-Prince and start up a painting project similar to the work that had already done in Rio de Janeiro and Philadelphia – be it under completely different circumstances.
When Haiti is hit by a catastrophic earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0 in 2010, the devastation is not just physical, but also psychological. Capital Port-au-Prince is one of the areas that’s hit the heaviest. Despite foreign financial support and humanitarian relief rebuilding the city turns out to be a slow process. Houses are reconstructed in a quick and simple matter, often leaving the outside brick walls unfinished and thereby unattractive in their appearance.After some thorough research and visits to different parts of the city, the duo decides on the hillside and severely hit neighborhood Villa Rosa as their project location.
With the Favela Painting vision of intense interaction with the local community as a starting point, Haas&Hahn consult every individual household about their personal wishes for the design of their houses, keeping in mind that the overall design should create a unified effect. The common thread in the designs is provided by the local Tap-Tap buses, which offer a perfect source of inspiration with their bold, cheerful and typically Haitian colors. The houses were plastered by local craftsmen before they were painted.
Just like in other Favela Painting projects, the execution is in the hands of the local community members.
