Barcelona was known as a city at the epicenter of a bustling lively organic Street Art scene in the mid 2000s. Today that has greatly been cracked down upon by authorities but the Spanish city now boasts a mural festival called Open Walls, which celebrated its third edition last month with public works spanning a great number of influences and styles. Of course there is still plenty of autonomous unpermissioned Street Art to be seen as well.
Borondo at work on his sketch for his enormous piece at Open Walls Conference 2015. Barcelona. (photo © Fernando Alcalá Losa)
This years’ interventions included new large format walls from Roc Blackblock, Ethos, Borondo, Zosen and Mina Hamada, and Mohamed Lghacham. Site specific walls included works by BYG, Enric Font, Sav45, Rubicon, Tayone, and Reskate Studio with Marina Capdevila and Amaia Arrazola. Boldly, the festival featured an open call to the first 20 respondents to paint a huge project together, effectively disarming any accusations of hierarchical favoritism or gate keeping.
Borondo. Open Walls Conference 2015. Barcelona. (photo © Fernando Alcalá Losa)
Open Walls 2015 also featured a conference with speakers, debates, tours and workshops that expand the discussion of art in the urban environment beyond typical Street Art and graffiti fare. The academic and institutional world is gradually grappling with bigger questions around urban planning and public space as it pertains to art in the streets and formal art teaching is still broadening its consideration of an artist movement that started quite outside its purview.
Borondo. Open Walls Conference 2015. Barcelona. (photo © Fernando Alcalá Losa)
Invited speakers included photographer Martha Cooper, graffiti artist and historian Jay Edlin, RJ Rushmore of Vandalog, Sergi Díaz (ICUB), representatives of the Madrid Street Art Project, philosopher Gabriela Berti, art historian Will Shank, and conservator Rosa Senserrich. The international and multidisciplinary program of professionals addressed issues regarding documentation, conservation, restoration, the history of Street Art, and its evolving role in the urban experience.
Here are some images courtesy of the festival photographer Fernando Alcalá Losa and of BSA contributor Lluis Olive Bulbena.
Borondo. Open Walls Conference 2015. Barcelona. (photo © Fernando Alcalá Losa)
Roc Black Block. Open Walls Conference 2015. Barcelona. (photo © Fernando Alcalá Losa)
Roc Black Block. Open Walls Conference 2015. Barcelona. (photo © Lluis Olive Bulbena)
Zosen . Mina Hamada Open Walls Conference 2015. Barcelona. (photo © Fernando Alcalá Losa)
Zosen . Mina Hamada Open Walls Conference 2015. Barcelona. (photo © Fernando Alcalá Losa)
Zosen . Mina Hamada Open Walls Conference 2015. Barcelona. (photo © Lluis Olive Bulbena)
ETHOS. Open Walls Conference 2015. Barcelona. (photo © Fernando Alcalá Losa)
Mohamed Lghacham AKA Oiter. Open Walls Conference 2015. Barcelona. (photo © Fernando Alcalá Losa)
Mohamed Lghacham AKA Oiter. Open Walls Conference 2015. Barcelona. (photo © Lluis Olive Bulbena)
SAV45. Open Walls Conference 2015. Site Specific Call. Barcelona. (photo © Fernando Alcalá Losa)
SAV45. Open Walls Conference 2015. Site Specific Call. Barcelona. (photo © Lluis Olive Bulbena)
Rubicon1. Open Walls Conference 2015. Site Specific Call. Barcelona. (photo © Lluis Olive Bulbena)
Manu Manu . Open Walls Conference 2015. Site Specific Call. Barcelona. (photo © Lluis Olive Bulbena)
Manu Manu . Open Walls Conference 2015. Site Specific Call. Barcelona. (photo © Lluis Olive Bulbena)
Simon Vazquez . Sebastien Waknine . Open Walls Conference 2015. Open Call, Banc de Sang Wall. Barcelona. (photo © Lluis Olive Bulbena)
Osnam . Caster . Cayn. Open Walls Conference 2015. Open Call, Banc de Sang Wall. Barcelona. (photo © Lluis Olive Bulbena)
Mer Bl . Open Walls Conference 2015. Open Call, Banc de Sang Wall. Barcelona. (photo © Lluis Olive Bulbena)
Copia . Open Walls Conference 2015. Open Call, Banc de Sang Wall. Barcelona. (photo © Lluis Olive Bulbena)
Jordan Seiler. Open Walls Conference 2015. Bus Shelter Take Over. Barcelona. (photo © Fernando Alcalá Losa)
<<>>><><<>BSA<<>>><<<>><><BSA<<>>><><<>BSA<<>>><<<>><><BSA
Please note: All content including images and text are © BrooklynStreetArt.com, unless otherwise noted. We like sharing BSA content for non-commercial purposes as long as you credit the photographer(s) and BSA, include a link to the original article URL and do not remove the photographer’s name from the .jpg file. Otherwise, please refrain from re-posting. Thanks!
<<>>><><<>BSA<<>>><<<>><><BSA<<>>><><<>BSA<<>>><<<>><>BSA
This article was also published on The Huffington Post.
Other Articles You May Like from BSA:
The moment you think you understand the street is the moment you begin to lose touch. Behavior on social media is also about as reliable as your Uncle Oscar after he's had a few too many frosted rum ...
Spanish Skount in the Netherlands wonders today about the evaporation of time, ever slipping from your fingers. He says his new mural, of which he has done perhaps a hundred that we know of over ...
Welcome to Wednesday, March 32nd. Just kidding! April Fools! Truthfully, when you are stuck inside quarantined every day is Blursday. Also all of the leaders at the top seem like fools ev...
Happy Holidays to all BSA readers, your family and dear ones. We're counting down some of our favorite photos to appear on BSA in 2020 taken by our editor of photography, Jaime Rojo. We wish each per...
Mexican street artist Said Dokins clearly loves towers to create his work upon. And he adores covering them with all sorts of cryptic symbols and stylized letter forms. Now we find him doing a decided...