Street Art, Tragedy, and Social Media.
Barcelona + Rotterdam Street Art Travel Guides!
Ciao,
how are you?
I'm currently neck-deep in planning our exciting 6-day exploration of Paris. Each week, I'm diving into Skype meetings with local street artists and curators to infuse our upcoming adventure with insider knowledge. Can't wait to explore the streets of Paris together!
Last month, we delved into a discussion about residents having a say in what gets painted in their neighborhoods and whether large-scale murals might sometimes feel like an unwelcome imposition on local communities.
Continuing that discussion, one of you sent me a video posted by a Turkish man who had some strong feelings about Saype's recent work in Antakya. This Turkish city had been rocked by an earthquake just nine months ago, and the French artist had just finished an immense ground mural featuring two hands clasping amidst the earthquake's rubble.
This Turkish man called Saype's art "pure poornography" and drew some (in my view, not-so-accurate) parallels with Jad El Khouri's projects in Beirut. From his perspective, both artists might have played on stories of poverty, destruction, tragedy, and war to create entertainment, shock, or emotional manipulation.
Now, let's examine what Jad El Khouri did. Between 2015 and 2017, Jad El Khouri embarked on the 'War Peace' project. Through his illustrations, he highlighted bullet and missile traces on buildings in Beirut, but adding a touch of whimsy with characters designed to bring joy instead of painful memories. Jad saw these urban interventions as his way of sparking positive change in the city he calls home, a city still bearing the scars of the Lebanese civil war.
A native of Beirut, Jad El Khouri channelled his local community's emotions, much like Sarajevo's Roses, those powerful symbols etched into the city's concrete by mortar shell impacts and then accentuated with red or black resin, serving as poignant reminders of resilience and tributes to those lost during the Bosnian War.
I genuinely believe that Saype had noble intentions. Beyond his connection through his Turkish wife, he sought to use his widespread influence for a good cause. His aim was to keep the world's focus on Antakya's tragedy and remind its residents, who continue to live amidst the ruins nine months later, that they're not forgotten. In a world where tragedies come and go in the blink of an eye, we often dive into stories for a brief emotional rollercoaster but lose track, leaving us with an unsettling sense of incomplete narratives.
Saype, in my view, genuinely sought to keep Antakya's tragedy in the spotlight, to keep us informed about what happened after the media moved on (which, sadly, seems to be very little, judging by his videos).
However, I also understand how well-intentioned efforts can be misunderstood. Locals may accuse him of making a spectacle out of their pain, especially considering that, on top of his artwork, he churned out seven reels and five carousels for Instagram, all shot with a drone and the skilled guidance of a professional photographer during his stay.
It's not unusual these days to see artists armed with drones and dedicated photographers, crafting their works with a digital audience in mind. Even when art supports the local community, artists often have their sights set on the online world.
I recently had an engaging chat about this topic with the renowned graffiti curator, Christian Omodeo (whom we'll meet on our Paris adventure!), discussing how digital audiences have been shaping urban art. You can dive into our conversation through the linked interview below and gain some fresh insights.
Until next month,
Giulia
ps. Remember that until November 15th you can book my Paris Urban Walks at an early bird price. Let start the new year together!
New on the Blog!
Christian Omodeo: Behind the Scenes of His Upcoming Exhibition “Loading: Street Art in the Digital Age.”
I recently chatted with Christian Omodeo, a Rome-born curator now based in Paris. We discussed his upcoming immersive show in Paris, his independent street culture bookstore "Le Grand Jeu," and the evolving world of street art. Christian's curatorship of this digital show stemmed from the realization that street artists now connect with two distinct audiences: those encountering their work in physical spaces and a much larger online audience viewing their art through social media and the internet.
If you’d like to join me on January 2nd for a visit to the exhibition after a quick hello to Christian Omodeo at “Le Grand Jeu” bookshop, you can find all the details right here.
“There will be rooms dedicated to graffiti pieces by various artists. We’ve taken photos of real-world graffiti and transformed them into something resembling GIF-ITI, inspired by INSA. These graffiti pieces will be projected onto concrete walls, appearing gradually as if an artist were painting them. The artist isn’t present, though, and you’ll watch the piece evolve before your eyes. The artwork eventually fades, and a different piece emerges through morphing. Technically, it’s a projection, but the immersive experience differs significantly from a traditional cinema screening.”
Christian Omodeo
Rotterdam Street Art Travel Guide!
This is my personal journey through the world of large-scale mural art that has transformed Rotterdam into a paradise for street art lovers. Rotterdam serves as a canvas for gifted street artists from around the globe, each leaving their indelible mark on this ever-evolving urban landscape.
As always, you can access the link to my Rotterdam Street Art Map, as well as to all the other travel maps, at the end of this and every other newsletter.
Aida Wilde: My Tool is My Words.
Hailing from Iran, Aida Wilde has been hitting London’s walls with her groundbreaking poster art since the early 2000s. Her reputation is built on a wide range of screen-printed installations and murals that serve as social commentary, with her work delving into subjects like gentrification, education, and equality.
In this interview, Aida tells me about the poster mural she made for Nuart Aberdeen 2023, her background, and the moving piece she created in response to the Iranian protests, drawing from her personal experiences of displacement, loss, and trauma – her escape from Iran during the war with Iraq with her mother and sisters in the 80s.
“This was the first time I ever included any of us in a piece. Working on this project was both challenging and worrying. You see, we are political refugees because my dad was part of the government. Naturally, my mom was quite concerned for my safety. But I told her that it was too late; I had chosen this path, and there was no turning back. If I were still in Iran, I’d probably have been killed in that movement because you know me – I’d have jumped right in. From this distance, I did what I could. It’s about justice for my family, justice for my father, justice for everyone who has been unjustly killed or imprisoned for simply having a voice.”
Aida Wilde
Updated!
Barcelona Street Art Travel Guide!
After *only* seven months from the actual trip, I’ve finally updated my Barcelona Street Art Travel Guide! ;-)
Street art in Barcelona has a storied history deeply intertwined with the global urban art scene, making it a renowned hub for graffiti and urban expression. Once considered Europe’s graffiti and street art capital, around 2006, a significant shift occurred in Barcelona’s graffiti culture when the city council implemented stringent measures to combat civil disturbances, resulting in tightened graffiti laws, hefty fines, and widespread whitewashing of colorful areas.
But here’s the good news: on my recent visit, I discovered that Barcelona’s street art culture is far from extinguished. From fully tagged doors to painted shutters, throw-ups, and ubiquitous stickers, the city still pulsates with creative expression at every corner.
As always, you can access the link to my Barcelona Street Art Map, as well as to all the other travel maps, at the end of this and every other newsletter.
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Stuff I do when I’m not here:
I rambled for over one hour about graffiti, street art, pixachao, subvertising and much, much more with Michela Vita from the youtube channel “Bologna in un click.” The interview is in Italian, and you can watch it here.
5 Urban Art Exhibitions in November 2023:
In Pisa, Italy, the "Festival della Strada" is hosting a series of exhibitions. At Palazzo Blu, renowned artists such as Kobra, 108, Moneyless, Etnik, Zed1, Aris, Gio Pistone, and Massimo Sospetto have reinterpreted artworks from the Philadelphia Museum of Art (also on show at Palazzo Blu). Simultaneously, Gonzalo Borondo has crafted an installation at the nearby Chiesa della Spina, with additional murals set to be created throughout the festival's duration (until January 7th, 2024).
If you are traveling to Pisa for the Festival della Strada, check out my Pisa graffiti and street art guide!
Opening on November 4th at Amsterdam’s Collection M Gallery a solo show by Stefano ‘PANE’ Monfeli, Rome’s graffiti pioneer now living in Amsterdam.
If you want to know more about PANE’s crew TRV (The Riot Vandals) and the golden age of graffiti in Rome, check out my interview with NICO.
If you are traveling to Amsterdam for PANE show, check out my Amsterdam street art guide!
From 9th to 12th November: the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead, UK, hosts GUILTY, showcasing works by Electik Sheep, Peter Manning, Dotmasters and more, alongside a curated series of Nuart films.
From 9th to 18th November: Pejac is having a new solo show in New York City, titled “6 Feet Under.”
From November 9th to March 10th, SWOON is having a solo show at Taubman Museum of Art, in Roanoke, Virginia (USA).