In the latest of completed artworks through the Conversation at HeART project – in our Parisian HQ and our new hub in Barranquilla Colombia – we continue to spread the art across the world with the next stop in São Paulo, Brazil.
Foundever™ has had a presence in Brazil for over 20 years and recently pooled all of its Brazilian teams into the historic location of São Paulo, which can accommodate 2,150 people of the 3,300 employed in the country. In our latest Foundever Hub, our associates benefit from flexible workplace options, with the option to work from home or from the hub.
Making our mark
To mark this change and publicly display the vitality and energy of Foundever in Brazil, the team decided to give a Brazilian artist an unexpected canvas: the whole exterior facade of the building measuring 60 meters long and 12 meters high – a total of 720 square meters of space for art.
The artist’s brief was simply to bring a breath of fresh air to a rather uninteresting and monotonous architecture and to celebrate the energy and diversity of the Brazilian people.
Our Conversation at HeART consultant, Laura de Pontcharra, selected four artists with different ideas. With the building being hidden partially by trees, she discarded the proposals with detailed illustrations. Almost instantly, the choice was clear with São Paulo artist Jack Neito, also known as LEIGA. His colorful, rich and abstract creation also made it easy to adapt to the constraints of the building, with many windows and broken lines. He was able to expand on other elements of the entrance of the building that allow visitors to fully immerse themselves in the art.
Neito (born in 1983) began using spray paint in 1996 in his hometown of Guarulhos. After receiving a degree in Graphic Design from Escola Panamericana de Arte e Design, he distinguished himself in many mediums including applied arts, fashion, illustration, graffiti and digital art. He was invited to many street art festivals around the world and produced several commissioned artworks, where he could display his unique style, between figuration and abstraction.
Once Neito’s draft was validated, the Brazilian team patiently waited for the end of the rainy season. In early May, Neito, along with three assistants, began to tackle this ambitious facade painting. For 10 days, the São Paulo team watched the symbols, lettering and geometric shapes be created that make up the ethos of LEIGA. Today, the building is covered with joy, energy and good vibes.
“My heart is completely full of energy and good vibrations with this mural. It’s like a gift from Foundever to me. I’m very proud and happy to be part of this project,” said Elen Cruz, Facility Manager, Foundever in São Paulo.
A customer of Foundever who recently visited the building said they were thrilled that the artist perfectly captured on the outside of the building how they feel when they go inside the building. This is echoed by Laurent Delache, General Manager of Foundever in Brazil, for whom “this wall couldn’t better translate the Foundever company culture and two of our values “be bold” and “wow customers.” We are unique and we want to bring our customers and our people surprises and unexpected emotions.”
Neito, on the other hand, had just as much fun creating it. He’s very proud of his work, which gives him greater visibility in São Paulo…the building may even become a must see in city guides for tourists!
Learn more about our Conversation at HeART initiative including our installations in Paris, France and Barranquilla, Colombia.