White Walls Say Nothing finishes filming

After months of filming, we are very happy to announce that we have completed the first stage of production for our feature documentary White Walls Say Nothing.

It has been an intense and incredible experience. With a small crew of five people from three different countries, we conducted over 50 interviews and shot hundreds of hours of footage.

We started filming with a clear idea of who we wanted to speak to, and what we wanted to capture. Having spent several years researching art and activism we felt confident about the story and how to capture it. But despite all of our preparation, we were surprised to find that the project quickly took on a life of its own.

We interviewed artists we’ve worked with for years, many of whom are close friends. Without exception, every single interview brought us something new and unexpected. Sometimes it was a story we’d never heard, other times it was a perspective we hadn’t considered. Every interview opened up new lines of investigation.

The film gave us the opportunity to speak to a number of artists and activists from a variety of different backgrounds, and who have been active during different periods in history. On many occasions we were left in awe of the lives people have led and the actions they have taken. We began to see connections between artists and activists separated by generation and discipline. It became clear that even though the methods used and the context may be very different, there was a common motivating factor behind people’s actions.

We were very grateful for the wealth of knowledge that leading academics and historians shared with us. They gave us invaluable insights into the traditions which influence the relationship between action, protest, painting and public space, and helped us see how all the different elements in the story fit together.

In between interviews we explored the barrios and provinces of Buenos Aires. We captured the stark contrasts between the elegant neighbourhoods whose architecture and well heeled inhabitants inspire comparisons to European cities, and the complex yet vibrant barrios whose haphazard construction and eclectic personality represent a different side to this modern Latin American city. We looked to the streets for inspiration, to public space and the public themselves, whose faces and anecdotes provided enough material for a film of its own.

We are incredibly grateful to everyone who took part, who shared their time and their lives with us, and who supported the production of the film. We are certain that something incredible is going to come out of this and we are very excited to share it.

We are currently working our way through the hundreds of hours of material for the first stage of editing. We captured so much more than we anticipated that the film has already taken on another dimension. This is a story about art and activism in Argentina. But perhaps more importantly it is a story about resistance and the power of expression.

white wall say nothing production stills (8 of 9)

white wall say nothing production stills (7 of 9)

white wall say nothing production stills (4 of 9)

WWSN (3 of 11)

WWSN (4 of 11)

WWSN (6 of 11)

WWSN (7 of 11)

WWSN (9 of 11)

WWSN (10 of 11)

WWSN (11 of 11)

WWSN (8 of 11)

Argentine urban art showcase in the USA

graffitimundo presents the group exhibition “The Talking Walls of Buenos Aires”. Opening Saturday, July 13th at The Fridge in Washington DC. This will be the first time Argentina’s unique urban art culture has been exhibited in the US.

Urban art in Buenos Aires reflects the city’s turbulent history and rich cultural heritage. Throughout the last century the city walls have been extensively painted by artists, activists, political groups and the public and have become an established and dynamic channel for expression.

During the last two decades several different artistic styles have developed. The devastating Argentine economic crisis of 2001 created a generation of young artists determined to take to the streets and reclaim their city. As they collaborated in a spirit of solidarity a new and distinctive visual language began to emerge.

“The Talking Walls of Buenos Aires” features mural art and original artworks from leading Argentine artists and art collectives, as well as video works and historical and contemporary photography portraying the urban landscape of Buenos Aires and seminal moments in the country’s history.

The exhibition celebrates a form of expression rooted in activism and a desire to transform public space, and in the process challenges conventional views on what graffiti is, what street art represents, who creates it, and why.

Artists

Buenos Aires Stencil / Cabaio / Chu / Defi / DobleG / Ever / Fede Minuchin / Gualicho / Jaz / Malatesta / Mart / Pastel / Pedro Perelman / Poeta / Prensa La Libertad / Pum Pum / Roma / Sam / Stencil Land / Sonni / Tec / Tester

Event information

The “Talking Walls of Buenos Aires” will open at 6pm on July 13th 2013 at The Fridge, 516 1/2 8th Street SE, Washington, DC 20003

Note to editors

graffitimundo

graffitimundo is an arts organisation which supports urban art in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The organisation works to promote this unique art scene and support local artists.

Contact: info@graffitimundo.com

THE FRIDGE

The Fridge DC is an art gallery, performance space, music venue and classroom located on Barracks Row in the historic Eastern Market neighborhood of Washington, DC.

The Fridge: 516 1/2 8th Street SE, Washington, DC 20003

Open: Thursday – Saturday: 12pm–8pm  Sunday: 1pm–5pm

Contact emma@thefridgedc.com

007-Mart-02

Tester-rejas

tec-rojo-low-500

“Respiración” – new exhibition from Gualicho at Honeycomb

If you haven’t been to Honeycomb (a beautiful project space and art gallery in Palermo) to see Gualicho’s current exhibit, we highly recommend you do so before the show finishes at the end of June. This exhibition is a stunning collection of works by this elusive and eclectic artist, and an excellent representation of his style and multiple-medium expertise.

The exhibition is titled “Respiración¨ (Breathing). The first thing you see as you enter the space is an elaborately sculpted ceramic baboon face sporting a serene expression with its mouth slightly agape, perhaps taking the first breath of the show.

Gualicho’s works trace a path between the external and the internal world. Evident in titles like “Use your pain” and “Internal and external space”, the artist delves into our innermost processes, and explores the relation between the depths of human nature and the light of the waking world.

The exhibit is composed of works on canvas, found pieces of wood, screenprints and painted ceramic plates and tiles, featuring Gualicho’s typical palette of bold colors and mystical forms.

Moody moonlit landscapes stretch across large canvases, mysterious and haunting. Pieces rife with symbolism offer provocative glimpses into Gualicho’s dark inner worlds.

His screenprints feature labyrinthine worlds composed of organic and amorphous forms, which blend seamlessly with industrial components to create Gualicho’s surreal universe.

To see a catalogue of works from the exhibition, or to arrange a visit to Honeycomb gallery to see it in person please contact Honeycomb by email:info@inthehoneycomb.com

gualicho honeycomb (3 of 7)

gualicho honeycomb (2 of 7)

gualicho honeycomb (4 of 7)

gualicho honeycomb (5 of 7)

gualicho honeycomb (6 of 7)

gualicho honeycomb (1 of 7)

DEFI: "Carnaval" at Hollywood in Cambodia

The first of three consecutive exhibitions by the FASE collective at Hollywood in CambodiaDefi’s “Carnaval” is a riotous display of vibrancy and colour.

Defi’s works consistently convey a kind of kinetic energy. Whether painting on canvas, wood or creating his intricate boxed miniature sculptures, his works express action and movement. Defi’s canvases have become more abstract in recent years, his trademark feline characters have been replaced instead by intense strokes of colour.

Through his miniature sculptures encapsulated in his ‘toy boxes’ as he calls them, Defi has explored the idea of converging energies in a more delicately narrative way. On the one hand the characters are appear to be insignificant miniature figurines, but at the same time, they draw us into their worlds and tell their own stories, inviting interpretation from the viewer. Every piece enacts its own drama – a sailor rowing out to sea in a tiny wooden boat, a lady waiting for her love while sitting on an old pick-up truck full of sunflowers, an idyllic Alpine scene hit by comic disaster.

These tiny risk-taking protagonists face their crises with stoicism. Defi captures that moment when time appears to stand still, taking on the roles of narrator and observer as well as artist, he subverts reality and encapsulates the action within his wooden structures, the moment preserved forever.

There is humour, joy and playfulness encapsulated in these pieces which aptly reflect the Carnaval title of the show. This is art that has been clearly influenced by the artist’s own culture and country and the human condition itself – so even in a gallery context, retains a sense that it’s come from the streets.

It could be said that Defi’s work channels important aspects of life in Buenos Aires. The pieces reflect characteristics of the city itself – the chaotic energy of the metropolis where people live for the moment, pinballing from one crisis to another. But it’s the perfect moments amongst the crisis and chaos where real beauty can be found.

Defi’s exhibition “Carnaval” at Hollywood in Cambodia, 1st floor, Thames 1885, Palermo Buenos Aires. Open 6-9pm Tuesdays – Sundays.

The exhibition closes this Sunday 9th June so this is your last chance to catch the show. If you’re in Buenos Aires, do not miss this!

defi carnaval (8 of 8)

defi carnaval (7 of 8)

defi carnaval (3 of 8)

defi carnaval (1 of 8)

defi carnaval (4 of 8)

defi carnaval (5 of 8)

Beautiful new mural from Mart in Palermo

A few years back, the facade of a house in Palermo received a makeover, by way of a mural for Coca Cola being painted on it. The owner had given permission for a local artist to paint the mural as part of their branding campaign, but on the understanding that once a year was up, the artist would come back and paint something new.

Once their time was up, their advert was replaced by a strange a controversial mural by Ever. Continuing his exploration of the aesthetics of Chinese propaganda, Ever painted a piece depicting the communist visions of Chairman Mao, besides two children looking towards the Virgin Mary. Unbeknownst to Ever, he inadvertently represented Mary using the iconic image of the Virgin de Guadalupe. The church of the Virgin de Guadalupe was just a few blocks away. The Pastor and parishioners were unimpressed and threatened retaliation, but the piece remained untouched for over a year.

The owner of the house decided to make his property into a public art space, and invite local artist Mart was invited to paint a new mural. Having whitewashed the wall, Mart made the interesting choice to create a monochromatic piece. A glance at the street art and gallery works featured on Mart’s website, flickr & facebook makes it clear that he has a serious love affair with color, so it was surprising to see him create an extraordinary detailed piece using just one colour of aerosol. The effect is striking, and calls attention to Mart’s mastery of aerosol and his unconventional techniques.

As a young artist with little money to spend on materials, Mart learned how to make the most of every drop of paint he had access to. Whilst his contemporaries used aerosol for block fills and colour gradients he became proficient at painting clean narrow lines, creating delicate pieces with subtle details.

Mart’s latest piece is a beautiful example of how a city’s context and environment can influence its art. Mart has grown up in a city with an abundance of walls to paint, and a tolerance towards public art. The limiting factor to him painting was his lack of access to materials. This limitation drove him to experiment with unorthodox painting techniques, and develop a striking freehand style. With just a few cans of one single colour Mart has created a huge and beautiful work of art, showcasing his skills and paying tribute to the  barrio which has nurtured his talents.

Ever's controversial mural

Mart Julian Alvarez (1 of 4)

Mart Julian Alvarez (2 of 4)

Mart Julian Alvarez (4 of 4)