Jorge Manzo / Voice of Michoacan
Morelia, Michoacan. Espacio Las Américas has become a giant urban art gallery, unique in Michoacán and perhaps the country: 63 international, national and local artists have left all their inspirations in the murals that today bring a new face to the walls of this shopping plaza. Never before has there been an intervention of this magnitude.
Futura AC is the big proponent of the International Urban Arts Festival “Harto Arte” with which they are celebrating 11 years of experience. The artists come from Germany, Romania, Argentina, Venezuela and the United States and from Mexico from various states including Mexico City, Monterrey and Queretaro. They are the greatest exponents of urban art.
Both artists left their mark on the ramparts. The public can come and enjoy this free outdoor exhibition. It is one of the most important festivals in Mexico, founded by Gilberto Morelos and Julio Avalos. Citelis opened the doors of groups, giving young people all the facilities to make their mark.
The idea is that these spaces open up to the community and become a great urban art corridor. Every month, about 800,000 people visit Espacio Las Américas, so everyone will have the opportunity to admire the work done by groups with great experience who have collaborated with major brands such as Adidas, Nike, Amazon and others.
Since November 24, artists have begun leaving their first tracks and they are all expected to be completed this weekend. Futura is an organization whose goal is to create other urban art corridors in the state, and they have recently started one in Ixtlán, the path of which is recognized locally, nationally and internationally.
The idea is that they become spaces to promote crime prevention and culture. The artists will leave these artworks as a donation, open to the public. Veneno Diana Rios, who has had a significant involvement in urban art and is known for her collaborations with multinational companies, understands that Morelia is a great city with great people.
She is originally from Mexico City and although her profession is a fashion designer, this does not prevent her murals from being widely notable. For her, it is important that she leaves this work in a place where she does not live, and her idea is that they go to see those ruins, where humanity calls for joy and dreams come true.
“I want to share my style with society that we are happy, that we have faith in humanity, because sometimes we don’t feel empowered, and this is an exhibition that inspires us to give ourselves that strength and security,” highlights the artist, who has collaborated with Coca Cola, Banorte, Cuidado con el Perro and many others.
Arte Chikle is a group with more than 10 years of experience. They also participated in this festival, and seek to leave their legacy in these murals, expressing the artistic ability of its members. They have collaborated with Cuidado con el Perro, Nike and Aeropostal. They are aware of the great level that this festival has, because of the proponents of it.
Whereas Metzican, with over 11 years working in Mexico, strive to represent Mexican culture and glorify all that we are, blending it with the pre-Hispanic and capitalizing on the current situation of feeling proud to be Mexican. “The idea is that we appreciate, that we show off, that in the end, the whole country should come together.”
In this way, Julio Ávalos acknowledges the great work done in this festival, with the idea that Michoacan has a great urban art gallery that becomes a national example.
