BROOKLYN STREET ART LOVES YOU MORE EVERY DAY
AYÚDANOS A DEFENDER LA HUERTA Y PARAR LA ZAL – Help Us to Defend the Garden and Stop the ZAL.
Street Artists in Valencia, Spain are using their work to reclaim land for a people’s agenda.
BLU. Detail. SenseMurs. La Punta, Valencia, Spain, March 2018. (photo © Martha Cooper)
Street Artist Escif organized with other artists to fight the commercial development of seaside land in Valencia last month. With the help of other socially responsible artists including Aryz, BLU, Borondo, Escif, Anaïs Florin, Hyuro, Luzinterruptus, Daniel Muñoz “SAN”, Sam3 and Elías Taño, Escif and local organizers are publicly pushing a message that shows the local council what it means when citizens are engaged.
According to the organizers La Punta is a hamlet of orchards and gardens located in the south of the city of Valencia where more than 15 years ago the “Logistics Activities Zone” (ZAL) project of the Port of Valencia decided to chase hundreds of people out of this land to give to developers as a new port initiative.
BLU. Detail. SenseMurs. La Punta, Valencia, Spain, March 2018. (photo © Martha Cooper)
Well, that failed spectacularly, probably because funding fell through due to the global financial crisis, and 15 years later development has not happened. The land has begun to evolve and return to its more natural state and a local farm economy has sprouted up. Meanwhile city planners are hoping they can conjure up another way to use these public lands for private profit.
But grassroots organizers say they want the public/private predatory folks to step back and let citizens decide what to do with this area. Thanks to this new “SenseMurs” public art initiative that is drawing a lot of critical eyes to the matter, more citizens may actually get a seat at the table. Well organized and great communicators, on March 10 and 11 the artists and activists gave tours of the murals of SenseMurs, called a press conference, threw a concert, and opened the doors to other citizens for their participation in the process.
BLU. Detail. SenseMurs. La Punta, Valencia, Spain, March 2018. (photo © Martha Cooper)
“Within this context, neighbors and associations are trying to bring attention to this reality in order to negotiate with the Administration and start a public participation process,” says the art collective Luzinterruptus in an email, “where it will be decided how these lands will be used and to mend the injustices committed against the neighbors so another chance is given to the deported families to return and work the lands of l’Horta de la Punta.”
Enjoy these shots of the installations from Martha Cooper and two from Juanmi Ponce, starting off with the one and only BLU.
BLU. SenseMurs. La Punta, Valencia, Spain, March 2018. (photo © Martha Cooper)
Escif. SenseMurs. La Punta, Valencia, Spain, March 2018. (photo © Martha Cooper)
Escif. SenseMurs. La Punta, Valencia, Spain, March 2018. (photo © Martha Cooper)
Because there are lettuces!
From Escif’s Instagram:
A: ¿ Porqué HAY LECHUGAS ?
B: Pues porqué alguien plantó semillas en esta tierra fértil, les puso agua y dejó que el sol hiciese su trabajo. Imágino que es un ciclo natural. La tierra es generosa y muy prospera. A poco que la cuides, te regala lechugas como estas.
A: No me refiero a eso. Mi pregunta es porque escribes la frase HAY LECHUGAS.
B: Ah! …pues porque hay lechugas!
Hyuro. SenseMurs. La Punta, Valencia, Spain, March 2018. (photo © Martha Cooper)
Borondo. SenseMurs. La Punta, Valencia, Spain, March 2018. (photo © Martha Cooper)
Borondo. SenseMurs. La Punta, Valencia, Spain, March 2018. (photo © Martha Cooper)
Aryz. SenseMurs. La Punta, Valencia, Spain, March 2018. (photo © Martha Cooper)
Aryz. SenseMurs. La Punta, Valencia, Spain, March 2018. (photo © Martha Cooper)
Sam3. SenseMurs. La Punta, Valencia, Spain, March 2018. (photo © Martha Cooper)
SAN. SenseMurs. La Punta, Valencia, Spain, March 2018. (photo © Martha Cooper)
SAN. SenseMurs. La Punta, Valencia, Spain, March 2018. (photo © Martha Cooper)
Luzinterruptus. SenseMurs. La Punta, Valencia, Spain, March 2018. (photo © Juanmi Ponce)
Luzinterruptus. SenseMurs. La Punta, Valencia, Spain, March 2018. (photo © Juanmi Ponce)
Elías Taño. SenseMurs. La Punta, Valencia, Spain, March 2018. (photo © Martha Cooper)
SenseMurs participating artists: Blu, Luzinterruptus, Aryz, Hyuro, SAN, LIQEN, Anaisflorin, Eliastano, Sam3, Escif
To learn more about the project please go to RECUPEREM LA PUNTA / Valencia, Spain
Recuperem La Punta, aturem la ZAL and La Punta.
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