All posts tagged: Fer Alcalá

Osona Artimur Festival in Spain. First Edition / Part II

Osona Artimur Festival in Spain. First Edition / Part II

Prats de Lluçanès, Manlleu, Sant Julià de Vilatorta, Sant Bartomeu del Grau, and Alpens

Here we have more examples of city meeting rural, traditional meeting Stylez, countryside meeting contemporary, local pride meeting international flavor. In part II of our report from October/November’s Osona Artimur Festival, photographer and street art/mural art expert Fer Alcalá observes that putting together a wide-spread event like this is complicated and rewarding, somewhat like managing the United Nations General Assembly every September.

Wedo Goas. Osona Artimur Festival. B-Murals. Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)

“The fact is that looking for walls outside the big cities can be an alternative solution for artists and cultural managers due to the difficulties that can be found downtown Barcelona,” says Alcalá and colleague Laura Colomé in their description of the massive event. “The rules about architectural aesthetics, the shortage of legal walls and the strong rivalry make managing big events of this nature a very hard task to do.”

Wedo Goas. Osona Artimur Festival. B-Murals. Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)

Nonetheless, the community spirit and lust for communicating through art-in-the-streets show in the quality and range of works. The modern world may be awash with a sense of chaos, wonder, and mystery in ways we didn’t imagine; it’s precisely why we need to be outside talking about art with each other to contemplate and process the changes in the context of our collective history.

“Rural contexts become new places for researching, innovation, and promoting art,” they tell us. “It’s fair to say that Osona Artimur festival brings new horizons to art in the countryside of Catalunya and these five pioneer villages.”

Sergi Bastida. Osona Artimur Festival. B-Murals. Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)

Invited artists: Zoer, Ana Barriga, Satone, Nano4814, Luogo Comune, Isaac Cordal, Rosh,  Alberto Montes,  Jan Vallverdú, Marta Lapeña, Eloise Gillow
Artists selected by open call: Twee Muizen, Sergi Bastida, Wedo Goas
Artists working on participatory processes: Daniel Muñoz, Chu Doma,  Alessia Innocenti, Mateu Targa, Zosen

Sergi Bastida. Osona Artimur Festival. B-Murals. Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)
Sergi Bastida. Osona Artimur Festival. B-Murals. Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)
Mateu Targa. Osona Artimur Festival. B-Murals. Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)
Mateu Targa. Osona Artimur Festival. B-Murals. Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)
Mateu Targa. Osona Artimur Festival. B-Murals. Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)
Nano4814. Osona Artimur Festival. B-Murals. Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)
Nano4814. Osona Artimur Festival. B-Murals. Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)
Nano4814. Osona Artimur Festival. B-Murals. Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)
ROSH. Osona Artimur Festival. B-Murals. Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)
ROSH. Osona Artimur Festival. B-Murals. Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)
ROSH. Osona Artimur Festival. B-Murals. Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)
SatOne. Osona Artimur Festival. B-Murals. Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)
SatOne. Osona Artimur Festival. B-Murals. Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)
SatOne. Osona Artimur Festival. B-Murals. Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)
Twee Muizen. Osona Artimur Festival. B-Murals. Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)
Twee Muizen. Osona Artimur Festival. B-Murals. Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)
Twee Muizen. Osona Artimur Festival. B-Murals. Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)
Zoer. Osona Artimur Festival. B-Murals. Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)
Zoer. Osona Artimur Festival. B-Murals. Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)
Zoer. Osona Artimur Festival. B-Murals. Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)
Zosen. Osona Artimur Festival. B-Murals. Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)
Zosen. Osona Artimur Festival. B-Murals. Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)
Zosen. Osona Artimur Festival. B-Murals. Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)
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Osona Artimur Festival in Spain. First Edition / Part I

Osona Artimur Festival in Spain. First Edition / Part I

A 5-village mural program will be surely eclectic, to say the least. The first Osona Artimur Festival produced 19 of them, murals that is, and each speaks to the sensitivities of the modern era, an awareness of local history, and the unarticulated sensibilities of a multi-headed program here in the countryside just to the north of Barcelona. Curated by members and organizers at a pioneering urban art center called B-Murals, the quality of work and diversity of styles represent a fair survey of the international scene at the moment, with a decidedly local sabor.

Ana Barriga. Osona Artimur Festival. B-Murals. Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)

With B-Murals bringing the community and educational roots to the project, the complex execution during this autumn was coordinated with the Department of Tourism of Osona and the Catalan company Transit Projects. Working closely with the five villages, they served as intermediaries between locals and the international artists who came to paint there from France, Germany, Argentina, Ireland, Italy, Chile,… and closer to home.

Ana Barriga. Osona Artimur Festival. B-Murals. Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)

The towns of Prats de Lluçanès, Manlleu, Sant Julià de Vilatorta, Sant Bartomeu del Grau, and Alpens welcomed the artists. All participants were supported by an extensive production team, including assistants, runners, photographers, and film archivists. Here is our first of two postings from this part of Spain that features rivers, mountains, and beautiful landscapes.

Ana Barriga. Osona Artimur Festival. B-Murals. Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)

Enjoy Osona Artimur Festival.

Our special thanks to Fer Acala for sharing his images and observations about the event with us and BSA readers.

Invited artists: Zoer, Ana Barriga, Satone, Nano4814, Luogo Comune, Isaac Cordal, Rosh,  Alberto Montes,  Jan Vallverdú, Marta Lapeña, Eloise Gillow
Artists selected by open call: Twee Muizen, Sergi Bastida, Wedo Goas
Artists working on participatory processes: Daniel Muñoz, Chu Doma, Alessia Innocenti, Mateu Targa, Zosen

Alessia Innocenti. Osona Artimur Festival. B-Murals. Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)
Alessia Innocenti. Osona Artimur Festival. B-Murals. Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)
Alessia Innocenti. Osona Artimur Festival. B-Murals. Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)
Alberto Montes. Osona Artimur Festival. B-Murals. Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)
Alberto Montes. Osona Artimur Festival. B-Murals. Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)
Chu Doma. Osona Artimur Festival. B-Murals. Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)
Chu Doma. Osona Artimur Festival. B-Murals. Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)
Chu Doma. Osona Artimur Festival. B-Murals. Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)
Daniel Muñoz. Osona Artimur Festival. B-Murals. Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)
Daniel Muñoz. Osona Artimur Festival. B-Murals. Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)
Daniel Muñoz. Osona Artimur Festival. B-Murals. Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)
Isaac Cordal. Osona Artimur Festival. B-Murals. Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)
Isaac Cordal. Osona Artimur Festival. B-Murals. Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)
Isaac Cordal. Osona Artimur Festival. B-Murals. Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)
Eloise Gillow. Osona Artimur Festival. B-Murals. Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)
Eloise Gillow. Osona Artimur Festival. B-Murals. Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)
Jan Vallverdú. Osona Artimur Festival. B-Murals. Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)
Jan Vallverdú. Osona Artimur Festival. B-Murals. Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)
Jan Vallverdú. Osona Artimur Festival. B-Murals. Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)
Marta Lapeña. Osona Artimur Festival. B-Murals. Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)
Marta Lapeña. Osona Artimur Festival. B-Murals. Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)
Marta Lapeña. Osona Artimur Festival. B-Murals. Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)
Luogo Comune. Osona Artimur Festival. B-Murals. Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)
Luogo Comune. Osona Artimur Festival. B-Murals. Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)
Luogo Comune. Osona Artimur Festival. B-Murals. Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)
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Parees Festival 2021 Honors History, Community: Goes “Beyond the Mural”

Parees Festival 2021 Honors History, Community: Goes “Beyond the Mural”

“Beyond the Mural” is the name of a tour program they had this year for the 5th Parees Festival in Oviedo (Asturias, North of Spain). The intention of the tour is to give people a unique up-close idea about what the process is for artists to create. Curious attendees had many questions along the way.

“Beyond the Mural” could also be an appropriate descriptor for the festival as a whole, which has not been content to merely trumpet the arrival of international street art stars with no connection to the culture. True, there are some celebrities mixed in during the five-year period of some thirty large-format murals by local, national, and international artists. Each of them pays tribute to Asturian characters or history and even spread to nearby towns such as Olloniego, Trubia, and Tudela Veguín.

Luogo Comune. Parees Mural Festival 2021. Oviedo, Spain. (photo © Aida Baja)

Parees Fest has had many meaningful and lasting achievements in these five years – as evidenced by the number of neighbors, organizations, and specialists who get involved annually. It is a joint collaboration of artists and the community. The results are murals that are always tributes to Asturian characters, traditions, and events, in a unique mix of art and history.

After a severely restricted program in 2020 due to Covid, this year (Sept 13-19) the festival again invited local and foreign artists to focus on Asturian customs and characters, each following a  participatory process with the mediation of the artists collective Raposu Roxu.

Luogo Comune. Parees Mural Festival 2021. Oviedo, Spain. (photo © Aida Baja)

The themes and personalities grappled with by artists were varied, as are the styles represented on these facades of Oviedo; here you’ll see memories of mining, tambourines that fuse folklore and feminism, the famous Spanish singer and Asturia native Tino Casal, the scientist Margarita Salas and a historical tribute to the San Claudio Faience Factory. Organizers like to say the new works transfer decades of history to our present.

Read below the descriptions of various works as provided by the folks at the 5th Annual Parees Fest. Our special thanks to them and to photographers Fer Alcala and Mirahaciaatras, for sharing their great talents here with BSA readers.

Luogo Comune. Parees Mural Festival 2021. Oviedo, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)

LUOGO COMUNE

For this edition, the Italian Luogo Comune has painted a huge mural dedicated to Oviedo. The inspiration has been provided by citizen testimonies, the personal stories of dozens of people who participated in the campaign “What do you think makes the city of Oviedo special?”.

The answers to this question, launched by Parees Fest and the City Council’s Citizen Participation Area, were transferred to the artist, who has composed a work that combines history and nature, the pre-Romanesque past and the proximity of the mountain in its iconography.

Luogo Comune. Parees Mural Festival 2021. Oviedo, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)
Luogo Comune. Parees Mural Festival 2021. Oviedo, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)
Foni Ardao. Parees Mural Festival 2021. Oviedo, Spain. (photo © Mirahaciaatras)

FONI ARDAO

Among Parees Fest’ Asturian themes, those with literary content stand out, such as the murals dedicated to Clarín or Dolores Medio.

To illustrate the famous story “Montesín” by María Josefa Canellada, a philologist and one of the main Asturian writers of the last century, the Asturian artist Foni Ardao explored the tender relationship between the lost goat and her little caretakers.

A well-deserved honour to the first children’s book in Asturian, written in 1979, where we can see the goat Montesín in the arms of the girl, in the lands below l’Escorial, while the boy plays the guitar with his friend the magpie on his shoulder.
Surrounded by nature and heated by a fire, the characters convey a lot of peace and sweetness.

Foni added to his mural a tribute to his mother, Margarita, who died just over a year ago, represented by the flower bearing her name in the girl’s hair.

Foni Ardao. Parees Mural Festival 2021. Oviedo, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)
Foni Ardao. Parees Mural Festival 2021. Oviedo, Spain. (photo © Mirahaciaatras)
Alba Fabre. Parees Mural Festival 2021. Oviedo, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)

ALBA FABRE

The Catalan artist Alba Fabre Sacristán created an exquisite impressionist mural, where light and movement draw the figure of two “Sidros” captured in full jump.

The “Sidros” and the “Mascaradas de Invierno” are Asturian and pagan traditions. Members of these groups (traditionally men, but some women can wear the costume since 2019) are celebrating jumping, dancing, making noise with cowbells, and with improvised sarcastic comedy about what happened in the village during the year. This ritual existed in various places, but almost disappeared with Franco.

It’s related to Winter’ solstice, fertility and the beginning of adulthood for young men. On the contrary of Carnival, masks are not to hide, but to show the archetypes of the characters of the comedy (the ugly ones, the handsome ones, animals, natural elements…)

The artist met the association Sidros y Comedies El Cencerru before, during and after the process of the mural in order she could perfectly understand the background and the stories behind theses costumes (she could even wear one and dance with the “Sidros”).

Sidros. Parees Mural Festival 2021. Oviedo, Spain. (photo © Mirahaciaatras)
Alba Fabre. Parees Mural Festival 2021. Oviedo, Spain. (photo © Mirahaciaatras)
Alba Fabre. Parees Mural Festival 2021. Oviedo, Spain. (photo © Mirahaciaatras)
Sidros. Parees Mural Festival 2021. Oviedo, Spain. (photo © Mirahaciaatras)
Alba Fabre. Parees Mural Festival 2021. Oviedo, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)
Alba Fabre. Parees Mural Festival 2021. Oviedo, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)
Alba Fabre. Parees Mural Festival 2021. Oviedo, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)
Alba Fabre. Parees Mural Festival 2021. Oviedo, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)
Emily Eldridge. Parees Mural Festival 2021. Oviedo, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)

EMILY ELDRIDGE

The Primitive “Camino de Santiago”, different from the busiest French Way, starts in Oviedo and takes pilgrims to Santiago de Compostela.
In 2015, it was recognized by the UNESCO, along with the “Camino del Norte”, as a “World Humanity Heritage Site”, the highest distinction that a cultural asset can receive.

It is a magnificent route that crosses Asturias and Galicia, but is also known for its difficulty, due to the peculiarity of the landscape (all guides recommend an advanced level of hiking).

The American artist Emily Eldridge created after some meeting with historians a mural full of colours, representing a “modern” pilgrim, with a skirt and painted nails, walking happily towards her next stage.
Perhaps a way to remember that, although originally those who ventured on the Camino were men and devotees, today it is also an international destination for all nature lovers.

In this portrait, you can see flowers, but also thorns, and a hairstyle in the shape of a ladder, which recall the beauty and harshness of this Camino.

Emily Eldridge. Parees Mural Festival 2021. Oviedo, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)
Emily Eldridge. Parees Mural Festival 2021. Oviedo, Spain. (photo © Mirahaciaatras)
Emily Eldridge. Parees Mural Festival 2021. Oviedo, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)
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B-Murals Presents “TIME” – Franco Fasoli in Barcelona

B-Murals Presents “TIME” – Franco Fasoli in Barcelona

At a time when Barcelona has received criticism for allowing iconic murals to disappear, it is a joyful sight to witness street artist and muralist Jaz create a new iconic one after full immersion into the neighborhood of Trinidad Nova. Similarly, it is gratifying to see a contemporary painter creating something relevant and new for a community rather than creating banal niceties or, worse, using public space to sell a sneaker or brand.

Franco Fasoli for Difusor/B-Murals. TIME project. Trinitat Nova, Barcelona. Spain. (photos © Fer Alcala)

Intended as part of a permanent dialogue between the neighborhood and artist, this clearly links to the people’s fighting spirit here, complete with pugnacious bulls, roaring boars, and rebels on motorcycles. The Argentinian consulted closely over a period of weeks with panels of leaders, circles of residents, experts, and historians in the square.

Franco Fasoli for Difusor/B-Murals. TIME project. Trinitat Nova, Barcelona. Spain. (photos © Fer Alcala)

A coalition project under the auspices of B-Murals, Centro de Arte Urbano, and School of Restoration and Conservation of Cultural Heritage of Catalonia, Jaz integrated histories and aspirations into a triumphant, defiant, and uniquely expressive tableau worthy of a people. With his talents, the artist reflects the community and empowers it – honoring a TIME of the past while propelling its intentions of actualization into a TIME of the future…

Franco Fasoli for Difusor/B-Murals. TIME project. Trinitat Nova, Barcelona. Spain. (photos © Fer Alcala)
Franco Fasoli for Difusor/B-Murals. TIME project. Trinitat Nova, Barcelona. Spain. (photos © Fer Alcala)
Franco Fasoli for Difusor/B-Murals. TIME project. Trinitat Nova, Barcelona. Spain. (photos © Fer Alcala)
Franco Fasoli for Difusor/B-Murals. TIME project. Trinitat Nova, Barcelona. Spain. (photos © Fer Alcala)
Franco Fasoli for Difusor/B-Murals. TIME project. Trinitat Nova, Barcelona. Spain. (photos © Fer Alcala)
Franco Fasoli for Difusor/B-Murals. TIME project. Trinitat Nova, Barcelona. Spain. (photos © Fer Alcala)
Franco Fasoli for Difusor/B-Murals. TIME project. Trinitat Nova, Barcelona. Spain. (photos © Fer Alcala)
Franco Fasoli for Difusor/B-Murals. TIME project. Trinitat Nova, Barcelona. Spain. (photos © Fer Alcala)
Franco Fasoli for Difusor/B-Murals. TIME project. Trinitat Nova, Barcelona. Spain. (photos © Fer Alcala)
Franco Fasoli for Difusor/B-Murals. TIME project. Trinitat Nova, Barcelona. Spain. (photos © Fer Alcala)
Franco Fasoli for Difusor/B-Murals. TIME project. Trinitat Nova, Barcelona. Spain. (photos © Fer Alcala)
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A Mural Jam and Censorship: Fighting for Freedom Of Expression In Barcelona – Part III

A Mural Jam and Censorship: Fighting for Freedom Of Expression In Barcelona – Part III

In the US, families of military veterans say, “Freedom isn’t free.” It refers to the enormous amount of sacrifice people have to make – military and civilians alike – to guarantee that societies provide a fulsome measure of freedom and autonomy to their citizens. Likewise, free speech has to be fought for periodically to ensure that people have it – because it can be so swiftly taken away if we are not vigilant.

Anton Seoane. Plaza de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)

In our third installment of the murals painted in February in Barcelona, Spain, we are reminded that historically, the artist is often one of an oppressive government’s targets. It is somewhat sequential, the positions and stations in society who gradually are targeted for slurring and silencing. Academics, clergy, the press – a building degradation of respect for institutions and trust across the board.

Anton Seoane. Plaza de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)

These artists express their opinions in defiance of silencing because, inherently, they fight for everyone’s right to freedom of speech and expression, regardless of our comfort or discomfort with the ideas expressed. Because they must.

Zosen. Plaza de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)
Zosen. Plaza de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)
Konair. Plaza de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)
Konair. Plaza de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)
Kader. Plaza de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)
Kader. Plaza de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)
Reskate and Javier de Riba. Plaza de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)
Reskate. Plaza de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)
Javier De Riba. Plaza de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)
Reskate and Javier De Riba. Plaza de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)
Reos. Plaza de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)
Owen. Plaza de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)
Owen. Plaza de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)
El Rughi. Plaza de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)
El Rughi. Plaza de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)
Marina Capdevila. Plaza de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)
Marina Capdevila. Plaza de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)
Aram Rah and Jalon De Aquiles. Plaza de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)
Aram Rah and Jalon De Aquiles. Plaza de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)
Aram Rah and Jalon De Aquiles. Plaza de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)
Magia Trece and Doctor Toy. Plaza de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)
Magia Trece and Doctor Toy. Plaza de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)
Enric Font. Selva Del Mar. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Lluis Olive Bulbena)

See our other articles on this topic:

A Mural Jam and Censorship: Fighting for Freedom Of Expression In Barcelona – Part II

A Mural Jam and Censorship: Fighting for Freedom Of Expression In Barcelona – Part I

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A Mural Jam and Censorship: Fighting for Freedom Of Expression In Barcelona – Part II

A Mural Jam and Censorship: Fighting for Freedom Of Expression In Barcelona – Part II

It is notable when an organized gang of aerosol-wielding vandals protests your protest against censorship with censorship.

It’s also odious.

Everyone knows that it is normal for graffiti writers and street artists to expect that their ephemeral work may be buffed by a municipality or crossed out by a rival painter. This is a different matter entirely.

This is our 2nd time to bring you this story from a paint jam in Barcelona’s Plaza de las Tres Chimeneas where a collection of artists gathered to paint works addressing what they see as an unjust attack on the freedom of a citizen to express opinions in lyrics and writings. Taken together, these works are a passionate rejection of censorship and a colorful act of free speech by a community.

It made international news last month when Pablo Hasel, a Spanish rapper/singer/artist/musician from this city, was imprisoned under a Supreme Court ruling, which found his lyrics about King Emeritus Juan Carlos De Borbon to be offensive.

Roc Blackblock. Parque de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)

Artist Roc Blackblock was surrounded by a tight semi-circle of scrutinizing journalists and citizens as he painted. This was his second mural since his first had been immediately censored and ordered removed at the action in mid-February by an NCNeta brigade who a Barcelona Urban Guard escorted. He didn’t appear to mind the pressure.

Roc Blackblock. Parque de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)
Roc Blackblock. Parque de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)

Because there have been demonstrations in various cities and because modern media drools over scenes of destruction and violence, it’s easy to forget the many peaceful artists who paint their opinions, says documentary photographer Fernando Alcalá, who shares his work here.

“I think it’s important to keep speaking about the artistic actions when, after days of riots and looting, the media has forgotten about freedom of speech, and they just talk about burnt trash cans,” he says.

We’re happy that he captured these before they were destroyed by ‘Union de Brigadas,’ who recorded their censorious actions proudly and shared them on Twitter and YouTube.

Roc Blackblock. Parque de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)
Roc Blackblock with Jaume Montserrat piece on the right. Parque de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)
Jaume Montserrat. Parque de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)
Jaume Montserrat. Parque de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)
Roc Blackblock. Nau Bostik. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)
Roc Blackblock. Nau Bostik. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)
Roc Blackblock. Nau Bostik. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)
Bravopintor. Parque de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)
La Castillo. Parque de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)

I think it’s important to keep speaking about the artistic actions when, after days of riots and looting, the media has forgotten about freedom of speech and they just talk about burnt trash cans.”

~Fernando Alcalá

A paramilitaristic homage to the Beatles Abbey Road. La Castillo. Parque de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)
Edjinn. Parque de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)
Juanjo Surace. Parque de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)
Juanjo Surace. Parque de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)
Dazo & Mus. Parque de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)
Dazo & Mus. Parque de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)
Valiente Creations. Parque de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)
Valiente Creations. Parque de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)
Sigrid Amores, Tres Voltes Rebel, ARTEPORVO, and Elna Or. Parque de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)
Sigrid Amores, Tres Voltes Rebel, ARTEPORVO, and Elna Or. Parque de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)
Sigrid Amores, Tres Voltes Rebel, ARTEPORVO, and Elna Or. Parque de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)
Martz. Parque de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)
Martz. Parque de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)

See our other articles on this topic:

A Mural Jam and Censorship: Fighting for Freedom Of Expression In Barcelona – Part I

A Mural Jam and Censorship: Fighting for Freedom Of Expression In Barcelona – Part III

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A Mural Jam and Censorship: Fighting for Freedom Of Expression In Barcelona – Part I

A Mural Jam and Censorship: Fighting for Freedom Of Expression In Barcelona – Part I

Freedom of expression is foundational in a democracy. Without it, it is not difficult for a culture to descend into authoritarianism, fascism, and dictatorship. By many standards, Spain’s democracy is still young, with a Parliamentary Monarchy since 1978. So it is curious and alarming to hear that this EU country has been silencing free speech in the last few years.

Sigrid Amores, Tres Voltes Rebel, Arte Porvo, Elna Or. Parque de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)

In 2018, we reported here on an initiative undertaken by more than two dozen artists from Spain called #nocallarem, a visual and musical protest inside a former prison to speak out against the Spanish Supreme Court ruling against the rights of an artist, a rapper, Pablo Hasel. In lyrics about the then-King Juan Carlos De Borbon deemed offensive, the young musician violated recently passed laws forbidding such speech.

Sigrid Amores, Tres Voltes Rebel, Arte Porvo, Elna Or. Parque de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)

Now, on the occasion of Mr. Hasel preparing to report to the authorities to begin serving his prison sentence, an outdoor art exhibition this month at Parque de las Tres Chimeneas (Three Chimneys Park) in Barcelona, a collection of artists gathered to paint works addressing what they see as an unjust attack on the freedom of a citizen and artist to express opinions in lyrics and writings. As you might expect at a graffiti/mural jam it was a celebratory Saturday of painting, music, dogs, kids, and the occasional soccer (fútbol) scrimmage.

Sigrid Amores, Tres Voltes Rebel, Arte Porvo, Elna Or. Parque de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)

But as soon as the mural paintings were up, the trouble began as well, according to artists and free-speech activists on the scene. “Less than twenty-four hours after doing their artistic actions, an NCNeta brigade escorted by a Barcelona Urban Guard van censored one of the works, covering it fully with paint,” says journalist and activist Audrey García in a Facebook posting.

The mural by artist Roc Blackblock featured the former king surrounded by words the rapper had used to describe him, including thief. Aside from being insulting to a public figure and calling out the rapper’s case, it is difficult for locals to understand why it was buffed.

Roc Blackblock. Parque de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)

García and others contend that the brazen act was evidence of an increasing level of silencing that targets some members of society for their speech but not others. “The city administration carried out a new act of censorship about our works, making our protest and denouncement of freedom of expression even more evident and necessary, adding a new case to the already too long, outrageous and constant violation of our rights and freedoms as creators and consequently of all society,” she says.

Cinta Vidal. Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)
Cinta Vidal. Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)

Eventually, the city apologized and offered solutions for restoring the piece, but the movement to free Mr. Hasel and protect free expression continues.  About 15 artists participated in the painting jam, including Roc Blackblock, Antón Seoane, El Rughi, Magia Trece, Doctor Toy, El Edu, Galleta María, Kader, Maga, Owen, Reskate, Chamo San, Sigrid Amores, Tres Voltes Rebel, Arte Porvo y Elna Or, among others.

Since then, more demonstrations have taken place in the streets of Barcelona, Valencia, Lérida, and Hasel’s hometown of Segrià to protest his imprisonment. According to the BBC, “More than 200 artists, including film director Pedro Almodóvar and Hollywood star Javier Bardem, have signed a petition against Hasel’s jail term, while Amnesty International described his arrest as terrible news for freedom of expression in Spain.”

Our special thanks to photographer Fer Alcalá for sharing his fine work with BSA readers here.

Cinta Vidal. Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)
Roc Blackblock. Parque de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)
Roc Blackblock. Parque de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)
Owen. Parque de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)
Anton Seoane, El Rughi, Magia Trece, Doctor Toy. Parque de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)
Anton Seoane, El Rughi, Magia Trece, Doctor Toy. Parque de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)
Anton Seoane, El Rughi, Magia Trece, Doctor Toy. Parque de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)
Maga. Parque de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)
Maga. Parque de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)
Anton Seoane, El Rughi, Magia Trece, Doctor Toy, Maga. Parque de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)
El Edu. Parque de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)
El Edu. Parque de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)
Galleta Maria. Parque de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)
Galleta Maria. Parque de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)
Kader. Parque de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)
Kader. Parque de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)
Reskate, Chamo San. Parque de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)
Reskate, Chamo San. Parque de las Tres Chimeneas. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)

See our other articles on this topic:

A Mural Jam and Censorship: Fighting for Freedom Of Expression In Barcelona – Part II

A Mural Jam and Censorship: Fighting for Freedom Of Expression In Barcelona – Part III

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All Art is “B-Local”. Group Exhibition During Covid in Barcelona

All Art is “B-Local”. Group Exhibition During Covid in Barcelona

It’s a challenge for artists to find opportunity to show their work, but in an era where opportunities for artists are diminishing by the day, here’s a new group show mounted mid-pandemic in Barcelona.

B-Local. B-Murals. Center for Urban Arts. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)

80 artists of many levels and styles are using the materials that they had handy when the first lockdown hit – cardboard, old canvases, frames, wood, paper. Each piece reflects the anxiety, fear, and hope of the artists – all expressed as they know best.

B-Local. B-Murals. Center for Urban Arts. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)

It’s good to see curators like Ana Manaia and Xavier Ballaz putting their heads together to create a show at a time like this one, named ‘B -L O C A L’. Certainly there can be no big party, but one by one, visitors can come to see the works and be reassured that art will continue to flourish in the time of Corona.

B-Local. B-Murals. Center for Urban Arts. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)
B-Local. B-Murals. Center for Urban Arts. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)
B-Local. B-Murals. Center for Urban Arts. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)
B-Local. B-Murals. Center for Urban Arts. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)
Zane Prater. B-Local. B-Murals. Center for Urban Arts. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)
Zane Prater. B-Local. B-Murals. Center for Urban Arts. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)
Zane Prater. B-Local. B-Murals. Center for Urban Arts. Barcelona, Spain. (photo © Fer Alcala)
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Manolo Arranges la Mesa :  Jugs, Pots, Bowls for Parees Fest 2020

Manolo Arranges la Mesa : Jugs, Pots, Bowls for Parees Fest 2020

Some people paint pottery and china as a part of their trade. Manolo Mesa paints it as part of his mural here in Oviedo, Spain for Parees Festival.

Manolo Mesa. Parees Fest 2020. (photo © Fer Alcala)

The Andalusian artist may have begun with graffiti on the street as the century turned but he moved to portraiture, canvasses, and large walls; a spiritual traveler in search of the contemporary. Now he is gently cradling this newer fascination and rather surprisingly setting the public mesa with his decorative vessels, each becoming more ornate.

Manolo Mesa. Parees Fest 2020. (photo © Fer Alcala)

A trained fine artist at University of Fine Arts in Seville, this Andalusian tells us about his fixation with jugs, pots, and bowls as vehicles and storage.

“Facing these inert objects, meditating on their inherent beauty and spending an eternity devoted to their placid observation, I’m waiting to perceive that meaning that resides in them – as an autonomous way of being.”

Manolo Mesa. Parees Fest 2020. (photo © Mira Hacia Atras)
Manolo Mesa. Parees Fest 2020. (photo © Fer Alcala)
Manolo Mesa. Parees Fest 2020. (photo © Fer Alcala)
Manolo Mesa. Parees Fest 2020. (photo © Mira Hacia Atras)
Manolo Mesa. Parees Fest 2020. (photo © Fer Alcala)
Manolo Mesa. Parees Fest 2020. (photo © Mira Hacia Atras)
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‘El Nolas’ Diagrams the Modern Primitive at Parees Fest in Oviedo

‘El Nolas’ Diagrams the Modern Primitive at Parees Fest in Oviedo

Modern primitive expressionist Manuel García Fernández AKA ‘El Nolas’ was born in the mid-90s here in Oviedo, Spain. Now his autobiographical mixed-technique perspective is taking over some large public walls here for the Parees Festival 2020, its fourth edition.

Manu García. Parees Fest 2020. (photo © Mira Hacia Atras)

It’s good to see a fresh take on the current state of urban interventions; even as it recalls more formal studio practices of contemporary artists that you have seen in the last decades. In retrospect, this is the path that a lot of Street Art has often followed; name checking the past masters in galleries/museums and updating them to this moment on the street.

Manu García. Parees Fest 2020. (photo © Fer Alcala)
Manu García. Parees Fest 2020. (photo © Fer Alcala)
Manu García. Parees Fest 2020. (photo © Fer Alcala)
Manu García. Parees Fest 2020. (photo © Fer Alcala)
Manu García. Parees Fest 2020. (photo © Mira Hacia Atras)
Manu García. Parees Fest 2020. (photo © Mira Hacia Atras)
Manu García. Parees Fest 2020. (photo © Mira Hacia Atras)
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Arantxa Recio Parra in Oviedo for Parees Fest 2020

Arantxa Recio Parra in Oviedo for Parees Fest 2020

With a mural that she says is inspired by traditional Asturian tales Arantxa Recio Parra employs additive and reductive 2-D shape painting strategies in public space. With painting technique that may recall crisp illustration and advertising styles of the 1950s and 60s, her new work stretches buoyantly along this long expanse in Oviedo, a town in northwest Spain between the Cantabrian Mountains and the Bay of Biscay.

Arantxa Recio Parra Parees Fest 2020.(photo @ Mira Hacia Atras)

Almost paper cut outs in appearance, these bright forms imply both space and spatial relationships, re-drawing a public street and your relationship to it.

Arantxa Recio Parra Parees Fest 2020.(photo @ Mira Hacia Atras)

Born in Zaragoza the multidisciplinary artist joins the Parees festival this year with her style that is commercially popular at the moment; bright, simplified, and just quirky enough to capture the publics’attention. The past few years her illustrative style has landed her on walls in Mexico, Argentina, Italy, Austria, Scotland, and Croatia.

Arantxa Recio Parra Parees Fest 2020.(photo @ Mira Hacia Atras)
Arantxa Recio Parra (@harsa_pati). Parees Fest 2020. (photo @ Fer Alcala)
Arantxa Recio Parra (@harsa_pati). Parees Fest 2020. (photo @ Fer Alcala)
Arantxa Recio Parra (@harsa_pati). Parees Fest 2020. (photo @ Fer Alcala)
Arantxa Recio Parra (@harsa_pati). Parees Fest 2020. (photo @ Fer Alcala)
Arantxa Recio Parra (@harsa_pati). Parees Fest 2020. (photo @ Fer Alcala)
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Lidia Cao: Tribute to Dolores Medio at Parees Fest 2020

Lidia Cao: Tribute to Dolores Medio at Parees Fest 2020

Lidia Cao. Parees Fest 2020. (photo © Mira Hacia Atras)

A valiant and revolutionary woman and winner of the Nadal Prize for literature in 1952, Delores Medio gets new life here at the 2020 Parees mural festival. Painted by artist Lidia Cao, the character of the writer comes through, a veiled portrait of her personality, her intensity.

See the video of this mural being made on BSA Film Friday HERE.

Lidia Cao. Parees Fest 2020. (photo © Fer Alcala)
Lidia Cao. Parees Fest 2020. (photo © Mira Hacia Atras)
Lidia Cao. Parees Fest 2020. (photo © Fer Alcala)
Lidia Cao. Parees Fest 2020. (photo © Fer Alcala)
Lidia Cao. Parees Fest 2020. (photo © Fer Alcala)
Lidia Cao. Parees Fest 2020. (photo © Fer Alcala)
Lidia Cao. Parees Fest 2020. (photo © Fer Alcala)
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