Stickers arts: about stickers, art, the female body and the street

Abstract

This  article  explores  how  sticker  art  functions  as  a form  of  political  and  symbolic occupation of urban spaces by female bodies, focusing on the experiences of young women. The research was conducted through an ethnographic process drawing on the researchers’ memories and lived experiences, including interviews, dialogues, and  participant  observation  at  events  such as the  June  2013  Protests,  the  SlutWalk (2014-2015), LambesGóia  festivals  (2022-2023),  and  the  Colantes Festival  (2024),  as well as exchange gatherings held in São Paulo, Uberlândia, and Goiânia between 2013 and 2024. The study examines the classificatory tensions of stickers between art, intervention, and technique, their historical trajectory and contemporary repercussions, and analyzes how this practice offers an accessible form of urban intervention for historically invisibilized bodies. While not exclusively feminine, sticker art emerges as an artistic and political expression that allows for rapid application and reduced risk exposure, facilitating women’s occupation of public space. Stickers constitute a powerful channel for the material and symbolic re-signification of urban spaces, challenging spatial hierarchies and strengthening resistance narratives in cities through ephemeral interventions that escape formal art circuits.