"SensibilizaARTE" Gathers 115 Urban Artists for Environmentally Themed Urban Art Contest

In order to draw public attention and to help the public reassess their relation to water resources, 115 artists from different parts of Perú applied to the SensibilizARTE urban art contest under the theme “We are water, we are art,” directed by the Aquafondo Organization.

The event lasted 4 weeks; and, in the first stage, young people from Lima and surrounding areas presented  sketches of their work with the message of preservation of  resources. From these applicants, 15 finalists were in charged with painting the facade of the Manuel Bonilla sports complex during the final weekend. In a ceremony and after a difficult deliberation, the jury selected 3 winners, which received prizes in cash, trophies, and home appliances.

The activity served as a means to highlight the value of our vital natural resources and to bring to the fore issues affecting both public and private institutions through the medium of street art. The final results proved to many how gratifying it can be to utilize both art and knowledge to help protect the resources of our the planet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


"Lima Mural Project" Adds Four New Gigantic Paintings in the Streets of Lima

This year’s third edition of the Peruvian urban art festival organized by the “Lima Mural Project” collective is jam-packed with color and supported by the Municipality of Miraflores where four new large-format murals have been added to the city of Lima.

The smallest piece is a geometric abstract work that runs nine meters and three meters high. It is a sequence of lines performed by Nyeth, an artist who has been painting in the city for 24 years, working to improve its vulnerable areas and adapting his brush to urban typography.

In contrast to this, towering a respectable seventeen meters high and nine meters wide, Conrad Florez opts for a graffiti technique when stamping his (mainly psychedelic) vision on the walls of the city. Through the use of strong colors that transmit life and futuristic vibes, he has infused his canvas with a number of fantastical characters.

Next up, an even larger work over twenty-five meters high and along a fifteen-meter wide base, Dear Lozada has created a reinterpretation of the plant kingdom in abstract. The rectilinear images contained within the piece suggest a dialogue with the organic world, creating a balance that does not overstep the bounds of other, but rather complements surrounding elements in favor of harmony.

Finally, with overflowing forty-five meters of height and thirty meters wide, Edwin Higuchi Fernández (a.k.a Pésimo) decided to render an image of an indigenous mystic who treasures a heart in her hands with eyes closed. A possible representation that “seeing with the heart” is a way of recognizing the feelings and what is not seen with the naked eye.

With the addition of these works, the Lima Mural Project once again succeeded in populating the city with brand new creations that add to an imaginary landscape; where the literal and concrete become juxtaposed and harmonized with the ethereal and fantastic.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Urban Art Program "Pinta San Luis" Receives Muralists and Graffiti Artists From All Corners of Argentina

A joint effort between the Government of the San Luis province and the Municipality of Villa Mercedes hosted artists from across Argentina for 4 days. After a difficult deliberation, entries by 30 artists were selected from among almost 90 with themes that included depictions of fauna,  environmental awareness, and 3D painting.

The staff of the Design and Art Program “Pinta San Luis”, said that it was not an easy task because the level of the artists who presented was very high and it was difficult to make the decision to weed out proposals. Finally, they decided to opt for as many different artistic styles as possible after studying the portfolios of each artist and considering their experience. It’s worth noting that the beautification project of Pinta San Luis not only has an aesthetic purpose but also that of protecting buildings from humidity and other environmental factors, so this was also taken into account when choosing the type of painting that would be used.

San Luis, at the heart of Argentina, was be able to receive muralists and graffiti artists from all corners of the country, creating the perfect opportunity to enrich the lives of local inhabitants through exposure to art and the fresh colors artists brought to the city.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Street Artist José Gallino Responds After Controversy Regarding His Murals in Montevideo

After his work at the headquarters of the Artigas Professors Institute (IPA), where he made a mural of Antonio Grompone, street artist José Gallino was criticized by the History Institute of the Faculty of Architecture, Design, and Urbanism (FADU). “It is not a canvas” was the title of a statement issued on August 30 by the Institute, which questioned “a series of murals made in various party walls under the signature of Gallino.”

Gallino defended his work and stated that he preferred murals rather than all-gray buildings, or to have walls in poor condition, additionally, emphasized that he only painted in walls in which he had permission from the owners and was paid by them.

Despite his defense of street art, which he considers “fundamental in the country”, the muralist clarified that he also defends the protection of heritage buildings, so instead of criticizing his work, the focus should be aimed at restoring buildings in poor condition.

Given this, the FADU still maintains that, architecture is another form of expression that could end up overshadowed by so many murals, and makes us wonder about its road ahead in relation to street art. Additionally, the content of the murals was about faces of famous people from Uruguay, including politicians of diverse ideologies, something that could easily generate polemic since there are so many points of view.

Gallino clarified that he does not feel attacked by the Institute’s statement or by the controversy, but affirmed that before protesting, proposals should be presented and that an open mind is required to discuss this type of issue.

 

 

 

 


San Cristóbal Hill to be Turned Into a Gigantic Mural by Local Artists

San Cristóbal Hill, an emblematic attraction of Lima, will become a gigantic artistic mural of more than 300 thousand square meters thanks to the talent of local artists. This creation can be seen from different points of the capital and is an initiative supported by the Municipality of Lima and the artistic collectives Color Energía and Aporta.

The mural, as part of the commemoration of the Bicentennial, is currently underway with over 50 percent of the houses painted. Undertaken by a group of Peruvian muralists who are embellishing the facades of the houses in the vicinity, when completed the project is thought to be one of the largest murals in the world.

The mural project represents immense Chakanas that symbolize the connection of San Cristóbal Hill with the community focussed on collective growth and prosperity. It also is meant to draw attention to the cultural heritage and identity of the residents of the area and its purpose is to highlight the union through color.

In general, the project aims to help transform public perception based on the promotion of a sense of pride and belonging through the stories that the murals tell.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Martín Ron Presents a New Gigantic Mural in Bernal, Buenos Aires

After finishing a childhood-themed double mural this past month, the muralist Martín Ron made news again thanks to his new piece located in Buenos Aires. The Argentine artist recently inaugurated a truly impressive and beautiful mural in a building on San Martin Avenue of the Bernal province.

His most recent work shows a young woman using a metallic colored balloon as a kind of mirror in which she can see her face. According to the artist when sharing his piece on social media, magic, illusion, reflections, and gaze are some keywords that he had in mind when creating this work, but it is still open to individual interpretations, as can be said of the majority of his works.

Martín Ron is known as one of the ten best muralists in the world, starting at a young age, he participated in numerous interventions in subway stations in neighborhoods around Buenos Aires. With international recognition, he has painted murals in cities such as London, Tallinn, Penang, Bristol, Miami, Tenerife, Bremen, and Glauchau, bringing color and life to the streets. His large-scale works are characterized by the hyper-realistic style, with the use of strong colors, textures, and elements of everyday life. He generally uses a 3D painting technique, giving his work more realism. He is also an avid canvas painter on a smaller scale, but with many of the elements that characterize his style still present.


Alfredo Segatori

Alfredo Segatori, also known as “El Pelado” (“bald man” in English) is an Argentinian urban muralist who has been creating street art since 1989 using his signature freehand spray technique. Considered a pioneers and one of the most recognized Argentinian exponents of street art and urban muralism; he was one of the first artists to paint the walls of the city of Buenos Aires. He also carries out sculptural interventions with scrap metal and other recycled elements, and tours different places with his Bondi Gallery (a traveling gallery mounted on a Mercedes-Benz 911).

Born and raised in the Floresta neighborhood of Buenos Aires, his path began in the late 80s when the trade was more commonly associated with vandalism than with art. Around that time he was working for a company creating scenography through which he traveled to Brazil where he made friends with some graffiti artists. Later, he would get caught up in the graffiti movement which would eventually lead him to his great passion in life, street art.

Self-taught and versatile, he tends to work from abstraction at the beginning of a project, improvising with color and shape as a work progresses. He also finds inspiration in everyday characters and has shown a preference for making huge murals that completely cover buildings. Also, being one of the first urban artists in his country, he had to forge his own path with some inspiration from foreign painters who cam e before him such as Antonio Berni, Ricardo Carpani, Carlos Regazzoni, Orozco, Siqueiros, Diego Rivera, and Frida Kahlo. He has stated that he admires their variety in use of styles and themes, and that they knew how to innovate.

Alfredo Segatori also teaches Urban Aerosol courses. Additionally, he is a producer and organizer of cultural events. He carries out the Artistic Direction and Curation of Combined Arts Shows in places of great recognition, for example, the Hipódromo Argentino de Palermo; German Embassy in Buenos Aires; Embassy of Brazil in Buenos Aires, among other important exhibition centers where many artists from different disciplines and countries participate.

You can check out Alfredo Segatori’s most recent projects and artworks on his Instagram account here: https://www.instagram.com/alfredosegatori/


Puriskiri

Puriskiri is a graffiti artist and muralist from the Bolivian city of Cochabamba, whose pseudonym means “globetrotter” in the Quechua language. His works contain the transience and immediacy that is so characteristic of modern urban street art. Scattered throughout the city, whether on facades of houses, entrances to shops, or walls of an avenida, transient and magical, the duration of any given piece tends to be governed by social dynamics.

Identifying with urban art from the young age of 14, the walls of Cochabamba have been his canvas since 2009 when he started using aerosol as his main tool. Entirely self-taught, his style has evolved significantly over the years.

According to this artist, the most difficult thing when designing a mural is creating something that has wide appeal. Because his pieces are in public spaces, he believes it is important to portray something that takes into consideration the personal interpretation each observer might have at any given moment. Considered one of the most renowned among Cochalos artists, he also likes to create pieces that convey a certain social commentary or reflect the cultures of his people. His paintings often include elements found within the latent folklore of the regional panorama, including Bolivian fauna, portrayals of everyday people, and traditional dances. At the same time, when it comes to characterizing his work, he points out that conveying a feeling of “happiness” is one of the most prevalent themes across all of his paintings. Often inspired by spontaneous actions and unpredictable encounters, he always carries a camera with him to document new ideas for future murals.

You can follow Puriskiri on his Instagram account at https://www.instagram.com/puriskiri/ where he posts his freshest ideas.


New 20-meters-high Nelson Mandela Mural Stands Out in the Capital of Uruguay

The face of the great South African champion against Apartheid, Nelson Mandela, stands out today in a large mural that the Uruguayan artist José Gallino painted in a central corner of Montevideo to pay tribute to that world personality.

After a recent trip to Europe, it didn't take Gallino long to get back to work in his home country on his largest composition to date. Standing 20 meters in height, he was able to complete it in 5 days with minimal rest and using photographs as a guide to generate textures, tones, and volume in his aerosol work towards his usual proximity to reality.

A self-taught artist from the region of Salto, Gallino began his career in the world of graffiti in 2013, and became fascinated by the activity and opportunities offered by street art. Since then, he has been exponentially developing his technique, achieving a large-scale portrait style that positions him as one of the best graffiti artists in the country and in the world.

A number of Gallino's creations can be found in the city of Montevideo, for which he has gained a great deal of praise and recognition. Many of his works are a reflection of the national culture and everyday people, not only detailing historical events but also acting as a record of the present. Recently however, Gallino chose to incorporate figures of international relevance who have left important marks on the international stage, with Nelson Mandela being chosen on this occasion. Additionally, another mural by Gallino is on the way just next to Mandela’s, this one, for Malala Yousafzai.


With Focus on Cultural Heritage, Work on the Largest Mural in the Bío Bío Region of Chile has been Completed

Work on the largest mural in the Bío Bío region of Chile has been completed in the city of Lota, with the title “Lota, Heartbeats for a New Generation.” A work that seeks to recognize, among other things, the importance of local women and portray the historical context of the commune.

The initiative also had the support of the ProCultura Foundation and the local municipality. The mural depicts those trades carried out by women from Lota such as laundresses, potters, and bakers, that are part of the so-called “intangible heritage of Lota.”

The mural is now the biggest in the Bío Bío region and measures 9.50 meters high and 48 meters long, containing the most representative figures of Lota’s daily life. The work was led by the artist Luis Núñez, who stressed that it was possible to meet the established deadlines despite sanitary restrictions and it is expected that in the next few days the inauguration will take place.

It is important to consider that Lota is being considered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, since it contains great historical monuments such as the Isidora Cousiño Park, the Chiflón del Diablo Mine, and the Lota Historical Museum. For this reason artist chose this city for this prestigious event and, through their efforts, hope to continue adding to the artistic tradition that has endured for centuries.


A Call for Colombian Environmental Art Begins, Sponsored by "Convocatoria VII Salón BAT de Arte Popular"

Amid the varied territories of Colombia flourish a group of people who, with the aim of conveying a message of identity, engage in a unique art form. These artists, using what they can find in their environment, transform waste and natural materials into art. Their works are often made with stones, clay, elastic bands, various fibers, and also remnants of paper, cloth, or pieces of tiles that they find.

Because of this, from April 14 until July 14 in the city of Bogotá, registrations are open for the Convocatoria VII Salón BAT de Arte Popular, in which environmental consciousness and urban art combine to reward muralism proposals with a focus on the preseervation of the environment, with special emphasis on theme and the materials used. This project is designed to highlight the responsibility that we all have in the care and preservation of the environment. The production is also aimed at promoting representations of the local culture; exalting the people as a product of their history, everyday lives, customs, and beliefs; strengthening the character of the national identity while calling for protections for the natural environment.

Artists from all corners of Colombia who are clear about the importance of preserving the environment and the possibility of transforming recycled materials into popular art are cordially invited and encouraged to participate in this event

The Convocatoria VII Salón BAT de Arte Popular seeks for all artists to be clear about the importance of preserving the environment, ecosystems and the possibility of finding in this space a platform for growth and visibility for their works. At the same time, this is one of the most significant strategies for the recovery of public space, since it generates actions that promote the exercise of an active, co-responsible, and participant citizenship in the creation of a better city.

The call is open and nationwide, with the selection of applicants taking place between 2021 and 2022, and the award event in 2022. The exhibitions will be accompanied by academic and pedagogical activities, as well as audiovisual and editorial productions.


After One Year Hiatus, Marin Ron Returns to Painting Giant Murals

Painted on a 65-meter wall in Bernal, Buenos Aires is the image of a little girl standing on tiptoes, the highest mural in the region. The girl is the center of the image of a monumental mural by Martín Ron, the Argentina artist recognized as one of the best urban artists in the world.

Martín returns to painting large-scale murals after spending some time with his “Independent Contest of Intervened Doors” this past year, an initiative that, for almost two weeks, brought together more than 320 colleagues who dared to creatively intervene in allotted spaces.

Author of more than 300 street paintings, on this occasion he used a mural he completed in March 2020 in the Banfield District of Buenos Aires as a reference for the new mural he created on a building nearby. The time between one and the other was exactly one year and the theme chosen by the artist is “children at play.” The first one of a boy in profile with a balloon on a 50-meter wall, and for the other, a girl stacking small bricks and building a wall on a 65-meter edifice.

The initial preparation of the wall was executed in four weeks, between January and February. Technical mastery and expert brushstroke were needed under the burning sun and frustrating rain, not to mention the constant vertigo due to hanging dozens of meters from the ground while raising and lowering the scaffolding attached to cables.

With completion of the design, the public space has been transformed to portray the idilic playfulness of childhood in magnificent proportions. Working from a stylistic repertoire of hyper-realism, surrealism, popular art, playful fantasy, and 3D; in this case Ron opts to bring a fair measure of literalism to his subjects, to allow the viewer to more easily relate to the composition.

The newly completed duo compose a visual dialogue with the urban landscape, and, if all goes according to plan, will soon welcome a new member as Martín already stated that this would be a trilogy of works with similar themes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Guayaquil Adds a New Mural with Help from 10 Children with Disabilities

In an atmosphere of camaraderie, fun, and creativity, a monkey, an iguana, a butterfly, a bird, and trees took shape with the contribution of 10 children, who have different types of disabilities, ranging from progressive muscular dystrophy to Down Syndrome. The mural was made in the Ecuadorian city of Guayaquil by the painter Andrés Franco, recognized in the art world as Andy Son. He is a teacher with close to 150 murals in the country, especially in Guayaquil, and has also painted murals in Brazil, Chile, Cuba, and Perú.

Despite the challenge, the project helped the children learn the joy of expressing themselves through art. It was the first time they got to paint on a wall, after much practice on small paper sheets. Andy Son added the first sketch and the kids filled it in with color, with Andy adding the final touches.

The initiative was organized by Teleamazonas TV, with a vision of supporting inclusion in art. With the completion of this mural, passersby will now be able to enjoy a canvas painted with joy, thanks to the effort of these unique children.

The project ended with a local choir of blind people performing Notas de Luz to celebrate the completion of the mural.


Santiago Ciudad Galeria by Stanley Gonczanski Arrives in Chile

Starting Monday, February 22nd, the visual artist, filmmaker, and publicist Stanley Gonczanski will present his exhibition “Santiago Ciudad Galería,” an urban intervention of digital collage works on advertising posters distributed throughout different neighborhoods of Santiago de Chile. The exhibition plans to deliver a contribution of beauty and charm to the streets, after experiencing great success in Buenos Aires last year.

In an unprecedented alliance with the company Global, which manages various advertising spaces throughout Santiago de Chile. Stanley Gonczanski’s works will be part of an initiative that transforms those screens that are already part of the urban landscape into something more friendly.

Santiago Ciudad Galería was created to provide spaces of creativity and art to the common citizen through Stanley’s Almost Classic Collection, works that propose a reinvention with wit and satire. In his collection, Stanley takes iconic works from the Renaissance up to the 19th century and gives them a modern twist in order to reflect on what is happening to us as a society right now.

As mentioned above, the urban intervention already took place last year in Stanley’s hometown, Buenos Aires, where they included posters at 14 stations, this time however, the range has increased for a total of 66 stations in 12 communes.

Stanley Gonczanski’s international career has included exhibitions in London, Florence, Santiago de Chile, Miami, Dubai, and Taipei, and now in Santiago de Chile where his urban art gallery will offer subtle humor and powerful irony.


Mon Laferte Adds Two New Murals to Her First Outdoor Exhibition in Valparaiso

Mon Laferte is in Chile to hold her first outdoor art exhibition with a number of new murals created for the occasion. The exhibition, called “Procesión: Pinturas de Mon Laferte,” will be held in conjunction with the Bahía Utópica art gallery from February 15th to March 12th.

In recent days, Mon Laferte revealed that she painted one of the murals in Cerro Alegre de Valparaíso and documented the process on her Instagram account.

Her first painting is entitled “Día Uno” and shows a naked woman accompanied by figures in red and yellow tones with a blue background. The work, according to the artist, portrays the female menstrual cycle incorporating intimate and devotional elements in the melancholic gaze of the characters. The painting has caused great annoyance in the Ministery of Culture, Arts and Heritage of Valparaíso, who described the painting as “a selfish manifestation” and worthy of a fine since it hadn’t received an official permit. On his part, the mayor of Valparaiso applauded the artist and stated he was looking forward to more paintings by this artist. Mon Laferte took the opportunity to talk about the really important issues that the country is facing and that authorities should be focusing on, highlighting police brutality.

Her other mural is titled “Por favor,” and the artist explained that the idea was to support a national organization for the preservation of oceans, Océana Chile, the painting works as a call to action to limit single-use plastics.

The Latin Grammy Award winner has worked in painting since she was 10 years old and has developed her unique self-taught style. She previously exhibited her work in Mexico City where she opened an art gallery, and now in Valparaíso, with her open-air mural collection.


Rundontwalk (Fede Minuchín) (Tester Mariano)

Rundontwalk is an urban art collective born in the city of Buenos Aires in 2001. At the time it was one of the first artistic collectives to paint amid the economic crisis. At the center of Rundontwalk were Tester Mariano (commonly known as just Tester) and Fede Minuchín (also, just known as Minucha), although as of now, only Fede remains as a representative of the group. The 2001 crisis was fertile ground for stencil users in Buenos Aires since many Argentinian artists opted to leave the country in search of better opportunities, however, they eventually returned bringing new experiences related to street art and stencil techniques, driving the start of many graffiti groups.

As a collective, Rundontwalk slowly expanded their experimentation with stencil techniques while continuing to paint small and large works. The members who currently belong to the group are some of the most prominent and active exponents of this technique in the urban art space. Since their beginnings, they have traveled the world painting, teaching, participating in group shows, festivals, workshops, and collaborating on projects with other artists.

Their work tends to be a mix of surrealism with punk and raw style, their messages are many but a touch of satire can be seen guiding their work. Additionally, they have many murals with animals as the protagonists, drawn with stencils accompanied by colorful and psychedelic backgrounds and shapes.

Both Fede and Tester have Instagram accounts where they post the projects they are working on, and you can follow them here: www.instagram.com/fede_rundontwalk/ and www.instagram.com/testermariano/.


Sebastián Oyarbide (Seba Cener)

Sebastián Oyarbide is a native of the Argentinian city of Tandil, and ten years ago he ventured into the world of street art. Known under the pseudonym “Seba Cener,” he has painted murals not only in various provinces of Argentina, but also in other countries such as the United States, Brazil, Perú, and Chile.

Sebastián started his career, like many of the most recognized street artists, by writing without permission on walls, blinds, or even on neighboring balconies. Those acts got him into trouble many times, with the property owners making him clean his work afterward. He eventually realized that the graffiti he made could be covered with something cooler and more aesthetically pleasing, so he started to lean more towards professional styles. Seba kept practicing for years in a self-taught manner, and now, focuses more on painting murals rather than works on a small scale. He has become so adept at muralism that he has been quoted as saying it takes him 10 times longer to complete a painting on an A4 sheet than to create a large mural.

His style can be characterized mainly by a connection to naturalism, often having detailed human faces as the protagonists of his paintings, although other parts of the body are also employed with the same detailed style. Additionally, he is known to include themes such as feminism, homosexuality, adoption, and disability in his paintings.

Saba Cener regularly updates the status of his works through Instagram @sebacener, as well as on his official website en.sebacener.com.


Guayaquil Features "Aeroarte," the World's First Aerial Art Gallery

In the city of Guayaquil, 9 murals out of a total of 14 have been inaugurated by Mayor Cynthia Viteri as part of a project to pay tribute to the Ecuadorian city and its heroes. When completed, residents will be able to view this gallery of murals while traveling through the air on the system of gondolas that Guayaquil with a neighboring town of Duran.

The project titled “Aeroarte” is described by local authorities as, “the world’s first aerial art gallery, an open-air space circuit for the exhibition of contemporary works of art that are visible from certain routes of the Aerovía Aerosuspended Transportation System of Guayaquil.” To showcase the innovation and modernity of the new transportation system, users now will be able to admire art while moving around on the system of gondolas from which these large murals can be viewed.

Aeroarte promoted as a unique and innovative space, ideal for the appreciate and promotion of contemporary art. The first phase of this project is scheduled to be completed by January 18 with the final installations expected to be completed sometime in February.

The Guayaquil Siglo XXI Foundation is in charge of the project, with a history of over 20 years contributing to the urban development, they seek to promote the well-being of the community. This will mark another success for the foundation who has led programs in the past for the construction of sidewalks, furniture, lighting, ramps, signs, underground wiring, and other vital enhancements for the city.

The Guayaquil Siglo XXI Foundation regularly posts updates about their programs on their Instagram account at @guayaquil_siglo_xxi, including their most recent project, Aeroarte.


The Chilean City of Frutillar Celebrates Its Heritage Through Two New Murals

The Chilean city of Frutillar recently carried out Urban Culture Week in its well-known landmark Teatro del Lago. The event involved various activities related to Hip Hop and Urban culture, including two murals accompanied by a digital session with speakers on the aforementioned themes.

Monday, January 11, marked the start of the mural project known as “Frutillar is Drawn,” consisting of two murals by renowned Chilean artists and muralists. The first installation is being worked on by illustrator and muralist Maida K, who, after consulting with the community, developed the theme of “A Creative City of Music,” paying homage to the history and economic relevance of musical talents developed there. The second mural was undertaken by artist Giova, who, together with residents of Frutillar, created a work focusing on the collective image of the past, present, and future of this city. The murals are expected to serve as a way for the city to solidify its trajectory and vision for the future.

Additionally, talks and workshops on the development of Hip Hop culture in Chile will be carried out along with live performances from famous local bands.


Bucaramanga Showcases Local Talent with Addition of New Murals

The Colombian city of Bucaramanga ushered in a New Year dressed in colors thanks to murals created by visual artists participating in the contest “Bucaramanga Cree en tu Talento 2020” (from the Municipal Institute of Culture and Tourism) carried out in several parts of the city.

From mid-December, a number of creations by winners in the category of plastic arts adorned the corners of various sectors of the capital of Santander, with the results being quite eye-catching now that most of the artists have completed their works.

One of these artistic installations is known as the “Heroes” project by Ucronía Urbana Collective, an initiative that arose in response to difficulties brought on by the pandemic. The work employs mainly sign language as a vehicle to project a message of optimism. However, it also warns not only of the difficulties generated by Covid-19 but also the historical precariousness that this sector has suffered.

Another piece by Franklin Piaguaje is based on interviews with random members of the neighborhood La Inmaculada (known for its high crime rate). In this way he attempted to depict the difficulties faced by people here and to represent day to day life in this community.

Another winning project titled ‘Intrinsic Connection’, was carried out by Danny Delgado. He describes it as an opportunity to highlight and immortalize the most emblematic places of the city by adding color, especially to the parks and squares of the city where people often congregate.

In addition to the murals, the event was accompanied by theater presentations, music, and dance exhibitions where the best of local talent was reflected.


Brazilian Street Art Festival “Fest.AR” Adds a VR Twist

São Paulo, a city widely recognized its thriving urban art scene, will host the first edition of “Fest.AR – Graffitis Apagados de São Paulo”, an unprecedented virtual reality event in South America. The initiative seeks to rescue works by 13 artists from different street art variations that have marked the city’s cultural life in the last four decades, aiming to heighten the historical heritage of the municipality and promote a constructive dialogue between the population and the city itself, in a way never before seen.

Fest.AR is an iconic event that promotes the rescue of São Paulo’s cultural heritage through the virtual delivery of ephemeral works such as graffiti, lettering, and murals in points of Avenida Paulista and surrounding areas, which were erased at some point by the natural evolution that cities experience, especially big ones like São Paulo.

Organized by MOVA and conceived by multimedia artist Giovanna Graziosi Casimiro, a researcher in digital memory and contemporary heritage, the festival also brings curatorship from cultural producer Vera Santana, and artist Prila Maria.

Prila was responsible for the entire research process, cataloging, and inviting 3 female protagonists with high relevance in the region: Loba Gi, Sujeitas, and OPS (Vismoart); in addition to graffiti artist Subtu. The festival also features the works of 6emeia, Jaime Prades, Bueno Caos, Mauro Neri, Nina Pandolfo, Nove, SHN, Tinho, and Rui Amaral.

The event will be live until December 28 and consists of a simple process: to experience Fest.AR, the user needs to download an application for free on their cell phone (available on Android and soon on iOS), the application will indicate the physical locations of the old pieces of art through geolocation options, by directing your cell phone to the indicated location, it will be possible to view the work that was once there, photograph it and film it, even with you on the picture, as if it were current reality, providing interactivity with the times that only current technology can achieve.

The festival’s progress is being updated through the Instagram profile @_fest.ar/, and, additionally Fest.AR promotes free virtual workshops through their social media accounts. These are given by Giovanna Graziosi Casimiro and started on December 5, with theoretical content and practical activities related to augmented reality as an instrument of urban occupation.

With 3 more weeks left, Fest.AR promises to be a great experience to both fans of street art and VR enthusiasts, and represents an important step in the evolution of urban art, making us wonder about the possibilities that new technologies could bring on how we appreciate it.


Sebastián Antonio Carreño Gaibisso (UNONUEVE)

Sebastián Antonio Carreño Gaibisso, also known as UNONUEVE, is a self-taught visual artist, a native of the San Antonio commune of Chile. Closely acquainted with painting since childhood, using basic materials he had at hand, self-taught exploration allowed him to create characters from his imagination. Sebastián developed his style of art through the manipulations of color saturation, shapes, and textures that he uses in his subjects, which he generates from inspirations of the Andean culture. The art of UNONUEVE can be found around the world in different formats; from paper to large murals distributed in countries such as Chile, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Germany, Netherlands, and Spain.

Although he was able to discover his motivation and interest in art and painting when he was young, it was not until he began his studies as a graphic designer that he began to create his own line of work, based on transmitting emotions through color, shapes, and textures.

Sebastián is heavily influenced by the crafts of Peru, Chile, and Mexico; styles typical of Latin American culture, very daring in their use of color with frequent mixing of cold and warm shades. Through his works, Sebastián seeks to convey a message of spiritual elevation; coming in contact with that which is beyond the tangible, exploring the expression of feelings and the connection with the universe that his ancestors spoke of.

He is always in constant search of new techniques and materials to use in his pieces, which has led him to travel to different parts of the world, participating in international festivals of public art and exhibitions. Sebastián’s style is constantly evolving and this progression can be seen in the works he posts on his Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/onenain/


Alapinta Colectivo

Initially composed of Aner Urra (ANER), Claudio Cabrera (KAIO), Claudio Maher (MAHER), and Gabriel Veloso (GVZ), Alapinta is a collective of Chilean artists who have been painting since 2004. Inspired by public art, graffiti, and murals, they have adapted their style to fit many different public and private spaces, painting murals to promote health, education, culture, heritage, and the environment, among others.

The original members met while studying graphic design and soon started going out together to paint after classes. Currently, the group is composed only of MAHER and GVZ who organize many collaborative community murals where people can join in.

Their commitment has been to transform various public and private spaces through the addition of high-quality art; leaving their unique signature and various messages that highlight identity, culture, and nature.

Alapinta has painted and organized murals in different parts of the world, each of which having a unique flavor and identity based on the space in which it is created. They are on record stating that people’s perception has a lot to do with identifying the themes they choose to work with. Therefore, they tend to do a lot of research regarding the place, its history, and how people living there interact with their surroundings. The joy for them is that they get to deliver a statement of hope, which is one of the engines that move them.

In the course of their 15 years of trajectory, Alapinta has continued to hone their talent through countless productions. Have a look at their Instagram account here to get a sense of the scope of their work: https://www.instagram.com/alapinta.cl/


Santiago Spirito (Cabaio)

Santiago Spirito (the real name of urban artist Cabaio) began painting in the streets of Buenos Aires after the 2001 Argentine economic crisis. Acting as part of a collective known as “Vómito Attack,” he, together with his fellow artists, sought to influence the political debate by stenciling political messages and drawing people’s attention to issues such as consumerism and commercialization of public spaces.

Santiago (Cabaio) first got interested in stencil techniques through a coworker in a restaurant, and the issue of commercial messaging on the streets of his city was something that he had been concerned about for some time. He was horrified by the amount of information that was and still is, displayed in the streets; from billboards, numbers, shops, t-shirts, and much more, an absurd amount of information that, just through passive reading and being a little curious, somehow permeates your thoughts and attitudes. Along with his friends, he was interested in the idea of ​​creating urban interventions in these highly saturated spaces by offering other kinds of information, not just commercial slogans. That was the moment Vómito Attack emerged, (and yes, that means what you think it means), a name conceived to describe the saturation of information people are subjected to just by walking down the street. After several years of activism and interventions, Santiago parted ways with the collective in 2007 to work on his own solo project.

While his works as part of the collective were based on heated criticism and protest, his work as a freelance artist could be considered apolitical. Cabaio changed his focus in order to experiment with art, embellishing a chosen walls, privileging aesthetics over political messages. His murals often combine colorful wheat pastes, stencils, and hand-drawn details. The final effect emerges as an elaborate layered collage with combined images, creating beautiful kaleidoscopic murals.

Cabaio tries to match his creations to the street where he places them; mixing and matching colors and images, using the street as a supplier of materials essential for his work, such as spray paint can leftover from other works, objects that serve as frames, radiographs to use as templates.

More of Cabaio’s characteristic collages can be appreciated on his Instagram account here: https://www.instagram.com/cabaiospirito/


Georgina Ciotti

Georgina Ciotti was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina and from a very young age was always involved in art and especially linked to drawing, painting, and workshops. Like all of the other artists included here, this natural lead her to eventually become involved in the South American street art scene.

Her works have been described as very powerful and the strength they project can be at least partly attributed to her training as a designer and illustrator. Her expression as an artist coupled with this technical expertise allows her to create truly remarkable urban murals with otherworldly characters. An interesting side-note, If you have seen the movies Pan’s Labyrinth and Hellboy 1 and 2 you will have already been exposed to her work as she was part of the special effects team that produced these award winning films!

After dedicating herself entirely to painting, she began specializing in murals and urban interventions, of which she was a large part of in Barcelona. Her works tend to have a strong visual impact, made up by complex beings and shapes that represent beasts of her creation or female characters with decorative elements, resulting in surreal compositions that transport us to another world.

At the end of 2009, she returned to Argentina, where she continues to paint and make murals. Currently, she works as a plastic artist, illustrator, and designer specializing in murals and public and private urban interventions. To see more of her work check for updates updates on her Instagram account here: https://www.instagram.com/ciotti.georgina/

 

 

 


Eduardo Kobra Begins Restoration Movement for his Works in São Paulo

The famous Brazilian muralist Eduardo Kobra started a new project, the restoration of his main works. Together with his team a number of pieces will be touched up and repainted starting with Lenda do Brasil, made in honor of F1 driver Ayrton Senna. The mural, showing the driver with a helmet and a triumphant look, is one of Kobra’s favorite due to the fact he considers Senna as one of his biggest idols. The restoration started in the last week of November 2020, with the next work on the list being his vibrant Oscar Niemeyer mural, in the Paulista Avenue of São Paulo.

Kobra has stated that, although he isn’t a big fan of sports, Senna in particular is one of his greatest idols and he finds inspiration in his example of determination and perseverance; an inspiration that he has paid homage to by painted 12 murals of the three-time F1 world champion; the most recent being painted in march of this year in the Interlagos race track of São Paulo.

For the initial phase of the project, Kobra looked to Audi Brasil, a company that has a historical connection with the world champion, and they welcomed the idea of making this first stage of the project feasible, aiming to start a movement that plans to change how street art is perceived by current and future generations.

This appears to be one of Kobra’s first movements for the restoration, and preservation of murals, that have become a true heritage of the cities they belong to and, according to the artist, deserve the same care as buildings, public monuments, and any work of art.


Chinácota in Colombia Begins the Art Meetup "Sembradores de Paz"

From November 21 to 30, the Colombian municipality of Chinácota in Norte de Santander will host “Sembradores de Paz” (in English, “Sowers of Peace”), an international event that will receive artistic and cultural representatives from South American countries, and other regions of Colombia. The meeting is part of the project Encuentro Internacional de Muralismo y el Arte Público that is holding its fifth annual edition.

The objective of the event is to promote integration between peoples, as well as to involve the community in activities that help evolve the territory in a fun and aesthetic manner. At the same time, they seek to leave a strong message of peace, by linking the theme of the event with the commemoration of the signing of the Peace Agreement in the locality in 1902, after several strong political and social conflicts that took part in The War of The Thousand Days; since then, the municipality of Chinácota, has been characterized as the “national capital of peace.”

Based on these historical events and as a sign of tribute, artists and cultural managers of the region began, in 2015, the “Encuentro Internacional de Muralismo y el Arte Público”, a peace project that seeks integration of people, and the transformation of spaces into protective and cohesive environments.

The event has already started and will consist of 30 artistic interventions, between murals, musical presentations, and workshops which progress will be updated through the Instagram profile: https://www.instagram.com/encuentrodemuralismo/


CURA Festival closes its 5th edition with 4 new murals in Belo Horizonte, Brazil

With the motto “2020 tem CURA” (translated as “2020 has a CURE”), one of the biggest public art festivals in the Brazilian “CURA” (Circuito Urbano de Arte) adds to the city of Belo Horizonte 4 gigantic new murals loaded with representative flavor to further color the city. In this year’s fifth edition, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, debates and workshops took place online, and even amid the pandemic, the five producers of the festival managed to successfully mobilize several in-person activities.

Another novelty of this edition of Cura was the use of an online poll to choose one artist residing in Brazil for the opportunity to paint the facade of one of the buildings in his/her locality.

The artists who made up the painting team in the gables of the Belo Horizonte buildings were Lídia Viber, Robinho Santana, Daiara Tiukano, and the one chosen from the online poll, Diego Mouro whose works addressed themes such as black and indigenous culture and heritage.

The Cura festival ran until October 4th, and in addition to producing new public artworks to be admired in the streets of the city, the circuit maintained and updated its own YouTube channel.


Arturo Rodriguez Naranjo (Volátil)

Arturo Rodriguez Naranjo is a Colombian artist who has left his mark on number of cities of the world, going by the name “Volátil.” His work is full of color and passion and the faces of his subjects, usually women with very Latin features, are imbued with symbols and auras that bring his pieces to life. He says that he chose to go by the artist name Volátil (meaning “Volatile” in English) because he felt it fit with his mystical theme, the fire that purifies, and the strong connection he feels with nature, elements that are never lacking in his paintings and murals.

Arturo was born in Barranquilla, and it was his mother (also a painter) who instilled in him the need to express himself through art. Constantly on the move, he lived for a time in La Guajira, then later moved to Pereira for a few years, and then found himself in Manizales and later in Bogotá. This tendency to keep moving from place to place and to leave murals everywhere he went gained him a reputation as a sort of modern day nomad painter.

According to the artist, his work attempts to present elements and metaphors that have the power of transformation and to stimulate culture; elements such as fire, radiant light, and the delicacy of the female form are themes common in his paintings. The poetic intention in his work is to foster a connection to that transformative potential that we all have.

Arturo is also a talented musician, expressing through lyrics what painting sometimes cannot. Check out his multitalented artistic expressions on his Instagram account here: https://www.instagram.com/arturo.volatil/


Jocelyn Aracena (Anis)

Under the pseudonym “Anis,” the Chilean illustrator and muralist Jocelyn Aracena has earned a prominent place in the urban art scene. Establishing herself as one of the most talented and prolific representatives of the medium, she churns out pieces packed with meaning, symmetry, neon tones, and stylized characters; in which nature and the female form occupy an essential place.

Jocelyn started painting the urban canvas at the age of 12, initially finding it rather difficult since no one in her family was an artist or even had an interested in art. A few years later she took up studying illustration, launching her on a path to eventually produce large and intricate murals.

The biggest challenge she experienced while getting into street art was probably access to materials since they were so difficult and expensive to come by at the time. With her limited resources, she ended up mixing spray paints to get the maximum number of tones of a certain color. She would also collect partially used bottles on paint left on the street that she would be careful to make it last. Painting in this way proved difficult but allowed her to define her own technique with acrylic paints and aerosols.

Anis’ art deals with subjects such as metaphysics, self-knowledge, nature, and the female experience. She says the women she paints could be anyone; an indigenous woman, someone who comes from another continent, a black woman, a white woman, or a Japanese woman. She aims for her characters to be a mixture of all women together, all being one.

To check out Anis’ most recent works, have a look at her Instagram account here: https://www.instagram.com/anis88_cl


Pum Pum

Pum Pum is an urban artist and graphic designer from Argentina, who, although she tries to keep her face and name out of the media, has become one of the most recognized artists in the field of urban art in Buenos Aires. While in the early 2000s many of her contemporaries opted for aerosol as the main material in their works, Pum Pum chose to prioritize latex paint and brushes in figurine-inspired murals.

At some point in her childhood she started drawing and never stopped. A product, perhaps of always being surrounded by art because she had a sculptor as a father and a psychologist for a mother. Eventually, she started making small images by hand and sticking them to city walls and, through this first step, came to fall in with a group of other artists; for next to her simple early works, other artists would add theirs too, collectively adding presence to random spots in the city.

Pum Pum is known for her iconic two-dimensional child-like characters; a result of an eclectic influences that ranges from Hello Kitty to American punk rock bands. She illustrates her characters with strong colors and fine lines, resulting in vibrant compositions.

Pum Pum has an Instagram account where she continues to add her most recent creations. Check it out here: https://www.instagram.com/holapumpum/


Kocha Se Raya

KSR stands for Kocha Se Raya, a group of urban artists from Cochabamba who have been painting the walls of the city for some time now. The crew includes artists Oveja213 and Puriskiri, both of whom have a long history in the Colombian street art scene and who have participated in numerous national and international events and festivals.

The KSR collective fuses elements such as typography, lettering, and realism. In recent years, they have intervened in many spaces in the city in order to, as they put it, “give it a break from political propaganda and advertising that try to tell you what to buy or what to do.”

According to them, graffiti is always going to be about rebellion, because whether it carries a message or not, it appropriates public space, and serves as a counterattack against propaganda, and advertising. For the collective, covering an advertisement with graffiti is reducing the strength of consumerism. Their work also adds elements of flora and fauna native to their country, reminding people of the importance of nature and national heritage.

You can check out KSR’s recent work on their Facebook account here: https://www.facebook.com/ksr.cru/


Diana Ordóñez (Ledania)

Diana Ordóñez, better known as Ledania, is a Colombian artist from the city of Bogotá who offers a fresh and different perspective on ​​art. Apart from creating street art she also works with plastic sculpture and does quite a lot of photography and graphic design. Her best-known creations are found on different walls of the Colombian capitol, in the form of street art and large murals, although she has broadened her approaches through the years and now creates decorative objects and a line of clothing.

Ledania’s style is vibrant and ornate, exploring the genre of expressionism, cubism, and surrealism to capture her artistic vision. Her drawings and graffiti mix elements of these three movements to create something new and fresh. Through the process of relating her own methods to those of artists from different movements, she is able to create pieces containing unique and novel figurative personalities; some closer to realism and others more related to expressionism with exaggeration and distortion of some characteristic features.

She uses geometric shapes for the composition of her subjects and sometimes creates collages of different images to achieve a new and different effect, adding depth to these characters using symbolism and transposing elements to represent what they are meant to feel and convey.

With her large palette of colors and geometric figures, she continuously keeps us looking forward to her newest creations that can be found here: https://www.instagram.com/ledania/


Franklin Piaguaje

Franklin Piaguaje was raised among the Siona, one of the 102 indigenous communities that inhabit the Colombian territory. An indigenous man who from a very young age was instilled with the value of care and conservation of nature. Franklin was educated with a sensitivity to issues that affect the country at large, training that compelled him get involved in protests and mobilizations in defense of different struggles such as education and territorial rights.

In 2012, when he was 14 years old, he began to experiment with sculptures in plaster, clay, and porcelain, materials that he learned to handle thanks to tutorials he found on the internet. Soon after, he also began making drawings with with oil paint, charcoal, and pencils, though it would take several years before he took to the streets with his artwork.

It was in 2016 that Franklin decided to start creating work in a more serious way and with greater social commitment, addressing issues such as childhood, violence, and the reality of the country he lived in. Together with a group of friends he painted murals where there was political advertising, sometimes covering it with artwork related to education, violence against women, rights of ethnic groups, and protection of flora and fauna.

Franklin has stated that the concepts he deals with in his work vary, according to what he is experiencing at certain times. In addition to expressing his indigenous heritage with pride, Franklin paints portraits of artists and fictional characters as superheroes in his spare time, something that serves as an exercise for other projects.

You can follow Franklin Piaguaje’s work on his Instagram account here: https://www.instagram.com/franklin_piaguaje/


Bastardilla

Bastardilla is the name of an urban artist who was originally born in Medellín but grew up in the Colombian capital of Bogotá. Her work aims to create a dialogue with passersby on the street and the thick lines she uses in her creations tell stories she hopes will connect with the locals where her murals are created.

At the age of 13, Bastardilla discovered that walking on the street and wandering was an experience she loved, but for some time she thought that painting without permission was a complicated and dangerous endeavor. The moment came however, when her gaze broadened and she began to see the movement of graffiti and urban art as an opportunity to be in line with her interests so she put aside her prejudices and fears.

Today, her work is scattered around various corners of the globe, painted on walls, doors, and corrugated shutters of shopfronts; her characters exhibiting female faces with Latin features, often semi-hidden by their hair, and almost always accompanied by flowers, hummingbirds, and glitter splashes that attract the attention of people passing by on the street. Often, her works speak to the violent circumstances that women in Latin America sometimes experience. Bastardilla paints characters that originating from intimate, ancestral, personal, and public stories and her work becomes a social example, learning from other people, and from herself.

You can follow Bastardilla on her Instagram account here: https://www.instagram.com/imagenbastarda/.


Steep

Steep is an academic artist born in Ecuador who feels the need to look for alternative spaces where his creations can be realized. That’s how he found, in the walls of various cities, spaces where he could express his unique vision he calls “Explosive Realism” thus creating environments full of mythical beings and fantastic characters.

The presence of planetary flora and fauna is essential in his compositions, as well as ancestral magic, a lot of realism in contrast with explosions of color, elements that work in conjunction to establish a connection with the passerby.

For 10 years now he has managed to create fantastical characters and portray them in natural settings drawing on his Latin American heritage. Not only do his paintings enhance the urban landscape, thanks to his “explosions of creativity” concept, he manages to capture the vitality and serenity he sees around him.

Using a unique technique of blasting or dripping paint that he has been perfecting since the beginning of his work,  he strengthens lines in his creations, imprinting his personal touch onto the figurative representations of animals, indigenous people, water, jungles, myths, and ancestral knowledge. Likewise, he integrates materials such as acrylic, spray paint, rollers, brushes, and stencils to achieve his characteristic style.

You can see more work by Steep’s on his Instagram account here: https://www.instagram.com/steep_aeon/


Knorke Leaf (Norka Paz Rodo)

Knorke Leaf, a.k.a Norka Paz Rodo is a very talented muralist, illustrator, and engraver born in La Paz, Bolivia. With many works scattered around the capitol, she has also painted internationally, with works exhibited in Argentina, Brazil, Spain, and the United States, as well as several other cities in Bolivia. This has allowed her to become one of the most influential figures in the street art scene of her country.

For more than three decades now, Knorke has been hard at work creating, stating that her mother got her painting from the age of two years old. So, between precociousness and practice, Knorke’s career has had a steady trajectory towards becoming an artist. As soon as she graduated high school she enrolled in a course to study plastic arts at the Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, specializing in engraving. At the same time, she took courses in Biology because she had an interest in nature conservation. Eventually, she realized she was more of an environmental activist than an academic, so she continued on her path to becoming an artist.

Knorke Leaf’s art attempts to break boundaries and her intention is to touch the extraordinary, the joy in life, and to experience the profound through the infinite possibilities that art offers. She possesses strong environmentalist convictions that she expresses through her art. Environmental degradation, threats to indigenous and peasant territories, the destruction of biodiversity, all of these are issues that society should be concerned about and that the media does not always reflect properly, so Norka has taken up the task of expressing it through her murals. The artist also advocates for women’s struggles and is committed to culture and the preservation of ancestral values.

You can follow Knorke Leaf’s work on her Instagram page here: https://www.instagram.com/knorke_leaf/


Roberto Mamani Mamani

Roberto Mamani Mamani, of Quechua birth and Aymara blood, was born on December 6, 1962. From a very early age, his need for creative expression led him on a path to becoming an artist. Since 1983 Mamani Mamani has held over 52 exhibitions, including 44 solo events that have garnered him numerous awards and distinctions through the years. The inspiration for his art is tied to his culture: the rituals, dances, food, spiritual visions, and the feelings of his community, always respecting mother earth Pachamama.

His first paintings arose from childhood games with stones and clay, painting with the ashes from the fireplace; subjects drawn from daily life and the agricultural tasks of his parents.

Without formal training, he managed to depict his world with originality and authentically. His artwork is an introspective and scrutinizing vision of the vast and rich Andean world. Color and shape are the nexus between the artist and his world, between his origin and his authentically Aymara worldview. He has dedicated his life to expressing through painting the Aymara vision of the Andean Universe. Roberto has developed his art based on the culture and spirit of his people; a vibrant and vital land, full of colors, character, textures, and emotions, like the Bolivian land he inhabits.

You can follow Roberto’s recent work on his Facebook account here: https://www.facebook.com/Mamani-Mamani-el-Artista-100530878283003/


New Killart Wall Paintings Arrive in Barranquilla for its Latest Edition

On September 23rd, 2020, artists entered in the 2020 Barranquilla (Colombia) Graffiti and Urban Art Festival popularly known as "Killart," and began painting their murals in spaces designated for this year's edition of the event.

Participating artists include: Ceam Ceas, Law Carvajal, Luis Amaris, Keko Angulo and Brik One, Norella Magdaniells, Omar Alonso, and Yuyo del Valle. These eight artists will begin to leave their creative mark on the sites chosen by the French Alliance, organizer of the event, hand-in-hand with the Secretariat of Culture, Heritage and Tourism. The works are scheduled to be completed on Wednesday, September 30th, when the official unveiling will be held and the fences that restrict the area to avoid the spread of Covid will be removed.

This event is partially made possible through the support of the Lienzo Urbano Foundation, the Ministry of Culture, the National Program for Cultural Concertation, the Chamber of Commerce of Barranquilla, and Coverfil Pinturas.

The festival has three main categories:
– Killart Street: A total of 5 artists will paint murals on 5 walls in the public space with an open theme, where the artistic style of the participants can be appreciated.
– Heroes of the pandemic: An artist will design and paint a public mural to pay tribute to healthcare workers for their remarkable performance in response to the pandemic.
– Killart at the Cortissoz: Several artists will paint murals that pay tribute to the evolution of the city. Winning murals in this category will depict its migratory history which affected culture, gastronomy, and the overall development of Barranquilla. An area of the Ernesto Cortissoz International Airport has been assigned for these new artworks.

Killart is one of the most beloved events for Barranquilla residents because it puts art at the service of all. It makes Barranquilla an open-air gallery where everyone can walk and enjoy. The event promotes the appropriation of spaces by the creations of local artists as essential for the city, its inhabitants, and visitors.

Along with artistic interventions on the walls of the city, Killart has arranged an academic agenda that includes workshops and talks, among other activities.


Verónica (MIN8)

Born in 1982, MIN8 is a self-taught pioneer of graffiti art in Uruguay and in recent years has become well known across Latin America. She began in graffiti at the age of 15 and, without having formal studies in art, acquired her technique through many years of practice and dedication. Alongside her work as a street artist, she currently serves as a teacher of Fine Arts, for the Universidad del Trabajo de Uruguay, and at Fundación Iturria teaching Graffiti workshops.

Influenced by hip hop and rap culture, Verónica (her real name), started producing graffiti in 1998 which led her to start experimenting with tags and lettering. After five or six years she was already painting as an established street artist and since 2007 she has represented her country in a number of national and international events. Reoccurring themes in her work are the role of women in society and the importance of nature. She has a dynamic style that combines realistic figures with color and the geometric universe.

MIN8 has recently become involved in a project named “Luces,” a social artistic conglomerate that performs various urban interventions in order to support inclusion processes for people in the most vulnerable places such as prisons, disadvantaged neighborhoods, psychiatric hospitals, drug rehabilitation centers among other places excluded by society.

MIN8 is very active as a painter and continues to adorn the streets of the world with her art pieces. You can see what she’s up to on her Instagram account heret: https://www.instagram.com/min_ocho


“Haciendo Calle” Moves From the Web to Guayaquil Communities

With artists such as Andrea Moreira, Ivan Casanova, Chester King Lucky, Made, NeoSudacas, Carla Bresciani and La Señora de los Graffs, the biennial “Haciendo Calle” moves out of its digital stage and goes to the walls of Nuevo Ceibos in the Ecuadorian city of Guayaquil.

The festival started in June 2020 through social media due to the current pandemic, with a series of urban interventions by both national and international artists that went through August and were being updated through the festival’s Instagram account. However, the inhabitants of the Nuevo Ceibos locality reached out to the representatives of the festival with the intention of painting several murals, turning the so-far digital-only festival into a face-to-face event.

The project is led by researcher teacher María Fernanda López, in conjunction with muralist Carla Bresciani, and it’s centered on exposition, developing critical appreciations, and promoting a pedagogy between the artists and the community.

This face-to-face part marks the end of the first stage of the biennial festival that will have an additional stage in October. This next part of the event is already being developed and focuses on generating a platform and critical reflection to analyze the whole process on multiple levels. With the participation of communal representatives who will bring their opinion to the discussion, this year plans to have spectacular results.


Gastón Rosa (Untonga)

Untonga, whose real name is Gastón Rosa, lives in Montevideo, Uruguay, where he “wallpapers” the city with his epitaphs and phrases written in public spaces. His compositions tend to be simple words framed in a particular way: a pink semicircle, three flowers, and a message, a combination resulting in his characteristic “pink gravestones.” This motif has been ever-present in his career, and using this visual style, he attempts to convey the values of diversity, respect for others, and inclusion.

The gravestone shapes seem almost infantile with their hastily rendered simplicity, however, behind this style of drawing, some deep truths are revealed. Untonga’s use of satire allows us to contemplate a “pink” death, which, according to the artist, does not contradict our typical notions of death, but helps us understand life and death in a different way.

However, in this case, to the artist death is not just a physical unraveling, death occurs with any crisis. His pieces tend to speak of broken relationships, job losses, or life projects that are truncated and for which we must mourn and turn the page. Through these thoughtful reminders on city walls, his goal is to help us put things into perspective and move ahead with optimism.

He usually paints the gravestones on kraft paper and sticks them up at night, all of them are unique and all are made by hand. There are also variations with graffiti and various phrases written with marker on shop’s windows.

Untonga draws up different phrases that can brush the poetic, like: “when you were gone I ate what you left, I lay down on your bed, I thought about opening a drawer, I listened to your music, I missed you, I wrote you this”; or depicting day to day activities with apparent simplicity with: “what happens to the neighbor, happens to you” and “if you feel like dancing, then you’re home.” His phrases generate hope and although we know that not everything is always positive, we can embrace the idea that in hard moments empathy can save us.

Untonga’s artistic possibilities are limitless and he continuously shares more of his pink gravestones on his Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/untonga___/


José Gallino

José Gallino has become one of the most talked-about names in the Uruguayan street art scene. This 33-year-old has produced an enormous number of murals, so many that he has lost count of them. He was born in the city of Salto and managed to make a name for himself by portraying the most prominent figures he could come up with, and doing it nonstop for years.

Since 2016, Jose Gallino has been developing into a project he calls “Tribute to Uruguayans,” a compilation of realistic murals adorning city street walls the width and length of Uruguay. Jose felt it was important to portray the faces of prominent people in various localities around his country, both easily recognizable people and the “invisible” people who still do a lot for their communities.

His works focus on enhancing the legacy of national figures, such as “China” Zorrilla, Alfredo Zitarrosa, Carlos Páez Vilaró, and Eduardo Galeano, to name just a few examples of portraits scattered around Montevideo that bear Gallino’s signature.

Even though these photorealistic portrait murals are a big part of Gallino’s work, he has also dabbled with different characters designs, his first mural in 2013 was a bug with reptile eyes and shark teeth. Raised in the countryside, Gallino says that animals fascinate him and that he got a number of tattoos inspired by animals that he feels some connection to.

You can follow José Gallino’s work on his Instagram account here: https://www.instagram.com/gallinoart/


Milu Correch

The Argentinian Milu Correch is a specialist in large-scale murals, charged with nostalgia and within a very emotionally intimate atmosphere, creating pieces that evoke the feeling you get from looking at old family photographic portraits. Being the daughter of an amateur painter and a literature teacher, she has traveled Europe performing urban interventions in different cities and different spaces, but she also continues to create murals in her native city of Buenos Aires.

Although Milu is a staunch advocate for urban art in Buenos Aires, she tries to downplay the commercialism and sensationalism that street art and muralism has been generating lately. She says that the way people encounter murals has changed, consumption through social networks has takes away some of the intimacy of seeing pieces in their environment.

When asked what her works are about, she replies that it’s “ambiguous” or “whatever you want,” leaving the viewer free to interpret. Despite this, its undeniable that the role of women in society plays a very important factor in Milu’s work.  Women are the protagonist in most of her creations, however, her pieces constantly pay tribute to the human figure in general. Her pieces tend to feature different shapes of masks,  locations that remind us of places we visit daily, and, in a lot of cases, are accompanied by elements from nature including animals and sometimes plants.

You can follow Milu Correch via her Instagram account here: https://www.instagram.com/milucorrech/


FLIX

Despite multiple exhibitions of his work in galleries around the world, it seems this artist prefers to keep his name private and exhibits and paints murals under the pseudonym FLIX. A Venezuelan architect who graduated from the Central University of Venezuela in 2002, FLIX wants his pieces to not only captivate and grab the attention of the viewer, but also to break paradigms and wake people up in order to dissolve day-to-day monotony.

His aesthetic employs elements such as chromatic labyrinths, robots, stencils, and various creative scenarios. In this sense, he appropriates public spaces and uses them as a canvas for the activation of urban aesthetics. His pieces he says are all woven into a strategy for constructing new understandings of the urban setting.

While he considers himself an artist who seeks to generate a reaction from the public and who has inserted political commentary into some works, this is not necessarily the intention of his artistic discourse. He always makes sure that these features do not end up defining his overall style.

Urban interventions by FLIX tend to use of subtle strategies and his pieces aim at manifesting desires of the local population through renegotiating meaning and relationship. For example, a piece that reflect the desire for a park in a certain neighborhood, a hopscotch drawing that rises to the sky, or a bus stop full of color that makes it more enjoyable and playful.

FLIX’s work has taken him on a trip around the world and he continuously provides updates on his most recent creations. Feel free to have a look on his Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/flixrobotico/


Jean Betancourt (Mr. Garek)

Jean Betancourt, better known as Mr. Garek is a Venezuelan animation specialist and muralist living in Bogotá, Colombia since 2018. Mr. Garek’s work has been mutating over the years, started with pure graffiti, he started moving towards a more figurative style and now his work is characterized by a the use of a high degree of symbolic elements. Some of the most common themes this highly talented Venezuelan artist addresses are identity, migration, invisible borders, desires, and projections. Taking a broad overview of his work, you will notice a number of elements that are repeated such as the way hands are drawn, anatomical hearts, and the types of flowers used in his compositions.

His murals tend to be a cluster of elements that are not necessarily related to each other, such as the hearts he often uses, which he sees as the symbolic manifestation of dreams, passions, and, personal projections; especially those related to migrations where the theme of aspirations and dreams are particularly prevalent. Another recurring element is the portrayal of skulls, which he says represents human fragility and our humility even during times when we feel strong or unbeatable. In his murals you can also sense his strong identification with the place he grew up, for example, through the tropical foliage. He cherishes his Venezuelan and Latin American identity, which he likes to remember beyond borders.

Although Jean is currently in Colombia, a country that according to him has been very supportive, he wants to continue traveling and then at some point return to Venezuela to share his experiences.

You can check out his latest pieces on his Instagram account here: https://www.instagram.com/mr.garek/


Alejandro Medina (Okso)

Ironic, scathing, irreverent, and very graphic, the Venezuelan Alejandro Medina, A.K.A Okso Vacuno raises a hand in protest to paradigms established by society through the use of characters like the blue cow “Cleta.”

This urban artist considers graffiti, in principle, an alternative way of presenting his creations to the public. According to him, graffiti always begins as a taking of space, because where he is from it is very difficult to access traditional art spaces. Therefore, scouting out unused spaces in order to express his ideas through art became a way forward. In fact, at some point and with other artists from the Caracas cultural scene, he decided to set up  a galleries in abandoned houses around the city. This taking back of spaces and ruins in order to turn them into a sort of urban gallery is something Okso is passionate about.

Around this time, a curious blue cow began inhabiting the walls of his native city Maracaibo: a news reporter cow, a cow with an astonished expression enclosed in a brick wall; another cow representing a worker from an old bingo parlor; another one in the form of ice cream melting from the heat of the city. Such is the nature of the unconventional graffiti Okso creates in many places around his city.

The artist explained that the idea was born with the “mad cow crisis” and from there he began to humanize animals in order to address what he calls “social cannibalism” and “human consumerism.”

Okso continuously comes up with new ideas for his character Cleta. Check them out on his Instagram account here: https://www.instagram.com/okso.1/


Fuga Muralista

The collective Fuga Muralista was born in the Venezuelan city of Mérida in 2013 and arose from the perceived need for more cultural representation in the streets of their city. This movement is made up of a multidisciplinary team of artists and professionals from various areas such as architecture, graphic, industrial design, production, film and photography, anthropology, among others. Together they work with lines and colors to portray their vocations in light of recovering their history and identity, not only of their professions, but also of their city and of their country.

The cultural artistic movement Fuga Muralista, through various works, aims to examine all of the cultural, ancestral, and religious manifestations from popular imagination. Through the use of various techniques, materials, and styles, they try to use the mural as a tool for training their members and for educating the public.

This group of young muralists, based on their academic training and moved by their creative spirit, have designed some of the most original works their country has seen. Defined by an avant-garde style with a conservative tint, they have created murals in emblematic places in different regions of Venezuela. With diverse themes that attract the attention of local populations, reception to their work has been very positive.

You can follow Fuga Muralista’s work on their Instagram account here: https://www.instagram.com/fugamuralista/


Oz Montanía

Oz Montanía, born in Paraguay in 1985, is one of the most recognized artists in the Latin American urban scene and uses his position to promote the street art movement in Paraguay, a country where urban art is still taking its first steps.

At the age of 12 he began scribblimg on walls, some time later, inspired by sixties comics that his father read, such as The Adventures of Robin Hood, as well as characters and plots from DC, Marvel, and Spawn, he developed a taste for illustration. It wasn’t until the age of 17 however that he began to perfect his style on the way to becoming an illustrator, graphic designer, and urban artist. Based on musical influences such as punk, hardcore, and metal, in the beginning he leaned more towards the use of three colors: white, black, and red. At present, his work has evolved and now uses an extensive color palette.

Oz bases his characters on the worldview of Paraguayan ethnic communities such as the Guaraní, Nivaclé, Ayoreo, or any group with traditions and thoughts different from ours. He borrows from and reinterprets all of them using the style he developed based on comic book drawings.

Oz Montanía is an avid supporter of street art festivals and encourages their development in his natal city of La Asunción, he partly managed the Latidoamericano Festival in 2016, bringing 40 Latin American artists, 31 foreign artists, and 9 locals, to intervene in the Historic Center of La Asunción. He has also launched some graffiti shops to make tools accessible for both new and veteran artists.

You can follow Oz Montanía via his Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/ozmontania/


Carla Bresciani

Carla Bresciani is a well known name in the Ecuadorian street art scene of Guayaquil; working with a group of other artists who hope for a more cultural city. Carla entered into Street art, like so many, out of sheer curiosity and ended up getting hooked to the point where she left her work as a visual artist to put all her energy into painting walls.

Carla’s paintings are currently focused on the conservation of ecosystems and environmental care; she wants her art to generate awareness in people. Her main sources of inspiration are care for nature and female empowerment.

In some of Carla’s murals you can see how her characters are influenced by Valdivia culture. One of the oldest settled cultures in the Americas, Carla admires this culture for the importance they gave to women and how she thinks that those values could be important in today’s society. She also portrays surreal humanoid beings in an energetic environment and how they can change shape with a particular level of energy.

Carla’s art is getting more people interested in urban art and is raising awareness with here environmental perspective. She feels street art should reflect the values of local communities and hopes Guayaquil and other cities of the world will be cleaner and filled with cultural.

You can follow Carla’s work on her Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/carlabresciani/