This Tuesday (November 10th), in the week of the Brazilian F1 Grand Prix, the corner of Paulista and Consolação – the “heart” of São Paulo – saw the unveiling of an Ayrton Senna panel. The mural “A Lenda do Brasil” (“The Legend of Brazil”) was painted by artist Eduardo Kobra, in a project sponsored by Audi do Brasil in a partnership with the Ayrton Senna Institute.
In the 41 meters tall and 17.5 meters wide panel, the renowned muralist, who was born in São Paulo and is one of the city’s pioneering street artists, depicted the idol in close-up, with a thoughtful expression, using vibrant colors and modern-looking patterns.
“I have dreamed for years about doing a big mural depicting this example of talent, determination and overcoming adversity. He’s by far the person I have painted the most, in my career. I’ve done around ten small to mid-sized murals, besides a painting on canvas. Even though I don’t really follow sports, Senna was always one of my biggest idols. And now, I have the honor of painting a huge mural, in São Paulo, with this amazing Paulistano and Brazilian as its subject”, says Kobra, who also painted a mural at Speedland – the country’s biggest go-kart complex – also in honor of the national idol.
The painting started being conceived on October 21st – the same date in which Ayrton Senna won his second title in the main category of motorsports, 20 years ago.
Besides the driver’s visage, the artist has also painted an A3 Sedan, using the same graphic style as in the panel, which was also unveiled this Tuesday. The car was on display at the Audi Lounge, located on Oscar Freire Street, and will be touring the country to promote the brand. Later, the vehicle will be auctioned, and its proceedings will go to the Ayrton Senna Institute.
The driver, an icon of worldwide motorsports and holder of the record for most pole-positions at the Brazilian GP (six, overall), was responsible for bringing the German car manufacturer to the Brazilian marketplace in 1993, the year in which he won at Interlagos for the second time (his first victory was in 1991).
“It’s an honor to present the city of São Paulo with this gift. Besides being an international sports-idol, Senna was vital to the history of Audi in Brazil, and this homage couldn’t have happened at a better time. We’ve just started manufacturing the A3 Sedan in the country. So, the mural acts as a reminder of the brand’s journey and also reaffirms our growing success”, says Jörg Hoffman, Audi do Brasil’s president and CEO.
To Bianca Senna, the institute’s branding director and Ayrton’s niece, the painting will be a tourist attraction and a new landmark for the city.
“I’m sure the “Lenda do Brasil’ mural will be a landmark for the city of São Paulo and will become a tourist attraction in one of the areas of the city with the biggest traffic of visitors, catching the eye of both Paulistanos and tourists from other states and countries. I believe the mural will please not only Ayrton Senna’s and motorsports’ fans, but also everyone who appreciates art”, says Bianca.