Big art in a little town

The 4,500 inhabitants of the small town of Torrefarrera are these days being treated to a different kind of art than they are used to. The first edition of the Street Art Festival kicked off in the town this weekend and the streets are already full of spray cans and equipment to reach every corner of high walls. For a whole week, 12 artists from Catalonia, Spain and Colombia will paint 1,450 square meters of mural all over the small municipality.

Urban art for social integration

According to the local authority, the urban wall art festival is a way of invigorating and regenerating spaces around the town, promoting urban art as a means of social integration. This is the first edition of the festival, but the town hall’s head of economic promotion has already announced that the intention is to continue the festival. “The idea is to do more editions, which means that in a few years the town will undergo a spectacular change.”

Controversial art

More than 30 artists presented proposals to take part in the Street Art Festival. The 12 artists chosen all bring bold ideas to Torrefarrera, with some that might even provoke controversy. One of the potentially most controversial pieces is a "apocalyptic" mural that uses 130 square meters to denounce the destruction of the planet. The artwork does not leave anyone indifferent, but the artist insists he is receiving more positive responses than negative ones.  

Yet, thetown hall's head of economic promotion is aware that the artwork is likely to generate different opinions. “There are people who like it and people that don’t like it so much; but I think that when it is all finished, the town and the urban scenery will be improved and we will have given it a special touch.”

400 square meters to be decorated

There are a total of 12 spaces to be decorated around the town, in both public and privately owned spaces. The biggest wall, and perhaps also the biggest challenge, is a 400-square meter wall at the sports center. The GFX Folk & Miedo 12 group from Alicante and Valencia began to paint it on Saturday. Next to them another mural started to take shape in the hands of local artist, Rulo López, while Colombian Zurik began to paint the outside walls of the local medical center.

Zurik, the only woman participating in the festival, was especially appreciative of being able to decorate a small town: “As the walls are close together, people can see all of them and meet the artists, which does not happen in a big city,” she said.

The festival ends on Friday September 8, when the best pieces will be given awards by a jury.