The measure seeks to benefit the artists of various disciplines to present their art in public with the permission of the municipalities. The project was presented by the Cultural Council in June 2012.
During the morning of 13 March, the Culture Committee of the House of Representatives unanimously passed the law regulating the display and artistic performance in National Properties of Public Use, which allows and encourages the presentation of artists in public spaces. This way parks, plazas, bridges, roads and other sites may becomes stages of high quality artistic expression.
In this regard, the Minister of Culture, Luciano Cruz-Coke, said, "This project allows to see public spaces as sites of expression of the diversity of identities that we have in our culture. On the other hand, it means a recognition and appreciation of the contribution of popular artists of our country, as well as contributing to the historical memory, which ultimately results in making culture closer to the people.”
The initiative, presented by the Council of Culture on 5 June, 2012, has the support of municipalities and is steadily developing into a law. Thus, it meets the proposed target following the demand of the artists themselves, to encourage the creation and interpretation of art in public spaces.
For César Jerez, craftsman and representative of the artists, this development "means a giant step in the dignity of the artist. We recognize that this ministry is developing something very important for the country and for the continent as this is one achievement for public recognition and the work of the artists who make their living in the spaces that people use.”
The project must now be approved first in the House and then the Senate and it is expected it be adopted in its entirety during the first half of this year. Subsequently, municipalities must develop local norms for the most used locations and times, under the criteria that it must encourage contact between artists and the public.