The Circuito Mural: Encuentro Internacional de Arte Urbano just wrapped up its first run from October 1 to 5, 2024, in Villa Obrera, Tafí Viejo, Tucumán, Argentina. This aesthetically strong and community-powered event turned the neighborhood into a new open-air gallery, with new murals from 13 artists hailing from across Argentina and as far as Siberia, Russia. The lineup had both fresh talent and seasoned pros, creating a satisfying blend of styles and influences that gives the area a whole new vibe.

Local artist Vero Corrales and her collective, RUIDO, organized the festival with a clear vision: to make Tafí Viejo a street art hub. Their goal is to reflect Tucumán’s unique local history, culture, and natural beauty through the murals. Over five days, the artists didn’t just paint walls—they connected with residents, worked alongside them, and created art that resonated deeply with the people in the neighborhood. Organizers say the event was about cultural exchange, building community pride, and sparking a sense of identity through shared creative work.

Matt Fox-Tucker from Buenos Aires Street Art captured the festival’s grit and color with photos that bring the murals to BSA readers to enjoy. He also shares his insights and knowledge about the genesis of some of these works and the artists who created them. Props to Vero Corrales and her team for pulling off an event that’s more than just paint on walls; a celebration of place, people, and stories, set right in the heart of Tafí Viejo.

From Matt Fox-Tucker:
“Vero Corrales, from the artistic group RUIDO one of the organizers of the five-day event, said: ‘“’The reason for the festival was to invite some talented street artists to improve the public space while collaborating with the neighbors to put Villa Obrera on the map as one of the best places to see murals in the region or perhaps the country’.”

From Matt Fox-Tucker:

“The work of art remembers the time of splendor when Tafí Viejo had one of the largest railway workshops in South America and exported lemons to all parts of the world.

Although the industry fell a few years ago, this legacy is still very present in the place almost as if it ran in people’s neighbors, Lina said. ‘I wanted to represent this bond through the arms of a hard-working person whose veins form the train tracks. The gesture of the figure is one of offering, holding a bouquet of the pink lapacho, which is a native tree very loved by the inhabitants of the town. The message I wanted to convey is that although past times cannot return, the persevering and fighting people will always manage to bloom something new and beautiful’.”

From Matt Fox-Tucker:

“The artist Soledad Moisas paints murals with images of scenes from everyday life and includes typical elements of the cities she visits such as the famous Tucumán empanadas, Gauchito Gil, the Virgin of Lujan, native flowers, and traditional drink bottles.

The event was organized by Vero Corrales, Fernando Gallucci, Leandro Fernández, Mariano Orell, in addition to the help of Florencia Vidal and Lucía Palenzuela.” 

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