Brazilian Artist Seeks R$80,000 for Bronze Statue of UFF Student Protesters

Brazilian visual artist Rodrigo Pedrosa has launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise R$80,000 for a life-size bronze statue honoring students of the Federal Fluminense University (UFF) who demonstrated for democracy in Niterói after the first round of the 2026 elections.

The sculpture will depict a female student planting a flag bearing the word "Democracia". Pedrosa plans to donate the finished work to the municipality of Niterói.

How did the project start?

The initiative follows the impact of protests that began with law students at UFF's Faculdade de Direito, then spread to other departments and filled the city's streets. Pedrosa lives directly opposite the law faculty. He said the mobilization of young people beneath his balcony, and the scale of the movement, motivated him to create the tribute.

Where will the statue stand?

Niterói's city hall has already suggested sites for the monument, but no final location has been confirmed. Past experience shapes the artist's caution: a previous work of his, the statue of actress Leila Diniz, was stolen. Pedrosa said he intends to seek an area with a strong presence of the Municipal Guard to protect the new piece.

A donated bronze has little meaning if it disappears within weeks, and Pedrosa's theft history makes the security question more than theoretical.

What does the campaign offer donors?

The fundraising runs on the Kickante platform under an all-or-nothing model: if the R$80,000 target is not reached, all contributions are returned to donors. The money covers foundry costs.

• Suggested contribution: R$100
• Donors receive a participation diploma
• Any amount exceeding production costs goes to Remanso Fraterno, a charitable institution in Niterói

A second statue is also in progress

In parallel, Pedrosa is working on a re-creation of the Leila Diniz statue, which was stolen shortly before its original inauguration. The new version is due for delivery in December on the boardwalk of Praia de São Francisco.

Two deadlines now run side by side: a December unveiling for Diniz, and an unfunded R$80,000 target for the student monument. Until the crowdfunding closes, the statue of the flag-bearing student exists only in the artist's plan — and in the city's willingness to find it a guarded home.