Martha Cooper was one of the first to photograph graffiti as an underground art form, shadowing teenagers as they tagged in New York City subways. Now street art is a global phenomenon, and curating for #mocatvupload she selects two videos which demonstrate its appeal as a form of civic engagement. In São Paulo, "Pimp My Carroça" is a crowd-funded campaign to refurbish the carts of recyclable material collectors who clean the streets for their livelihood. Covered in bright, vibrant graffiti, the carts raise the esteem of the recyclers, and spread awareness of their work, vital to a city which produces thousands of tons of waste every day. Meanwhile, in New York City's Lower East Side, street artist XAM installs birdhouses on street signs and archways. Like the miniature dwellings of Charles Simonds, each of his urban habitats is hand-made and unique, specifically designed to activate an overlooked space.

 

These videos were selected as part of a call to action from MOCAtv to graffiti and street artists and supporters around the world to upload videos showing the freshest art in public spaces. From March 25 to June 30, 2013, MOCAtv received over 120 submissions from China to Brazil to South Africa to Australia.