In 2009, Haas&hahn; returned to Vila Cruzeiro to start their second project in Rio. ‘Rio Cruzeiro’ is a mural covering a drainage ditch. The project transformed the stairs on Rua Santa Helena into a funky colourful ‘river’ over the drainage ditch ‘filled’ with running water. The design was created by Amsterdam-based tattoo artist Rob Admiraal who previously designed a dragon tattoo on Urhahn’s back. The project employed the help of local youths and involved training and preparatory work. Rio Cruzeiro took almost a year to complete. This collective effort injected tremendous esteem inside the favela.
