In 2017, the Contos mural came to life on the four façades of a historic school in the center of Rio de Janeiro, right between the Candelária Church and the Central Station. With its impressive 2,500 square meters, the work transforms the walls of the school into something almost magical: a mother who can't read, but who through her imagination creates such fascinating stories for her children that they believe she is actually reading the book. It's the power of oral storytelling awakening a love of reading.

This touching image reflects a reality still present in Brazil, where many young people and adults still haven't mastered reading and writing. The building that received this artistic intervention carries history in its walls - it was built in 1913 as a girls' annex to a school founded in 1877, during the reign of Dom Pedro II.

The IBGE figures for 2018 are striking: around 11.3 million Brazilians over the age of 15 live without the ability to read or write. If we put all these people together in a single city, it would be almost as big as São Paulo, with its 12.2 million inhabitants.

The grandeur of the project attracted worldwide attention - Contos made the Guinness Book as the largest mural painted by a woman in 2017, a recognition that highlights the magnitude and importance of the work on the international art scene.

More than art, the mural is an invitation to reflect. With its playful approach, it raises awareness and empowers, especially celebrating the black and indigenous ethnic groups, who make up around 54% of the Brazilian population. It is art that educates, inspires and transforms the urban space into an open-air classroom.