Street art continued to take over the world in 2018, adorning cities around the globe with massive works of gigantic expression. As cultural revolutions change the way we consider economic, political and social systems, the most notable murals of the previous year found intuitive ways to express both dissent and hope. Beyond the art itself, the street art world stands apart from its cohorts with a focus on clout nearing cults of personalities. Though the themes were generally harmonious, the most effective works established a voice distinct to the artist themselves. These are our favorites.
MILU CORRECT PAINTS ONE OF THE TALLEST MURALS IN LATIN AMERICA
Argentinian graffiti artist Milu Correch completed “Ajo Y Vino” in January for CURA festival in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Standing 28 stories above the heart of the city, “Ajo Y Vino” became one of tallest to be found in Latin America.
As the street art community continued its ongoing debate over the comparative merits of legal and illegal work, Correch stayed true to her graffiti roots, inviting “pixadores (extreme Brazilian graffiti writers) DIC, DOXS and PAVOR to assist and paint the background in words and symbols,” as Sami Wakim noted in his initial coverage.
Correch’s striking final product embodied the divine power of chaotic feminine energy. It is powerful, puzzling, and harmonious all at once. In her own words, she explained,“I’m beginning a new series of ‘witches’- before capitalism and witch-burning, women had the wisdom of healing, controlling their reproductivity, etc… but were hunted for a centralization of the power and the expansion of population for capitalist benefits. First in Europe, and then in America with less success. My intention is to represent these dynamic women that were tracked down because they were considered a threat to the system. Not for consumption of marriage as a bride, but because of this ethereal connection with nature and inner-spirituality. Another aspect of witches I find fascinating is that in fairy tales they’re the only character not defined by a man, and are key figures to provide the main element of action or controversy in fables.”
ICY & SOT GIFT A LARGE SCULPTURE OF CRUMPLED CASH
Iranian duo ICY and SOT surprised crowds on Wall Street in February with “an impromptu installation featuring a giant wad of crumpled cash,” Rachel Margolin reported. The “car-sized” sculpture arrived in New York’s Financial District fresh on the heels of President Trump’s controversial Tax Reform Bill.
The two brothers work together as artists, and are based in Brooklyn. Regarding the work, they said, “We felt it was good timing because of Trump’s tax cut, It’s not fair that wealthy people are going to benefit from it, and middle-class, hard working people will not. Trump’s tax cut winner will be Wall street, the heart of capitalism.” With this cutting piece, they effectively represented capitalism’s solipsist throwaway culture, and continued their goal to “transcend their histories of artistic and political censorship by using public art to envision a world freed from borders, war and violence,” as Margolin posited.
This surprise installation proved one of the year’s most provocative modern spectacles with its timeliness and the cutting efficiency of its commentary. Anyone can create a splashy political piece, but making tax reform resistance sexy proves a more arduous task.
AARON LI-HILL PAINTS A STUNNING MURAL IN NEW DELHI
Spring’s dawn in March brought “Nature’s Arch and Visions of Altered Landscapes” by Toronto-based muralist Aaron Li-Hill. The artist, who relocated to New York City, brought his fine art background and street art experience to New Delhi, where he participated in an ongoing project in the Lohdi Art District. St+art India curated the mural.
“Nature’s Arch and Visions of Altered Landscapes” addressed climate change in the wake of “the recent death of Sudan, the last male White Rhino,” according to Sami Wakim. “The natural rate of extinction is about 1-5 species per year. Scientists estimate we’re currently losing species at a rate of 1,000 – 10,000 times more than this base rate.”
Every work by Li-Hill creates an astounding sense of dynamic movement. One can almost feel the rush of air as his figures surge forward. Though Li-Hill’s staggering technical talent brought attention to the issue, he noted,“I’m not here to say I have an answer but sometimes the smallest actions can ripple out. Here is to a hopeful future, one not just through our human-centric vision.”
CITY PF POETS BY PAT PERRY IN SULAYMANIYAH, IRAQ
June saw Pat Perry collaborate with aptART and the children of Sulaymaniyah to create a mural titled “City of Poets” in the Iraqi city. Awareness and Prevention through Art (aptART) continually organizes “artistic experiences with conflict-affected and marginalized youth throughout the world.” Sami Wakim pointed out that this new work came “in the midst of the first parliamentary elections since the defeat of ISIS, with tangled up political flags strewn across the streets and power lines.”
The Kurdish population recognizes Sulaymaniyah as “the capital of enlightenment.” Together, Perry and his cohorts from Syrian refugee and Kurdish communities crafted a message to emphasize “the city’s notorious history as the region’s center of protest, of poets, and the outcry of human voices, despite intervals of violent persecution.”
The mural pays tribute to the poets and writers that form the city’s legacy. These intellectuals are shown in the foreground, while the children helped to add the flags in the background “with their own expressions of peace and tolerance.” Perry ultimately sought to create “a permanent public reminder that all voices and opinions are worthy of consideration with adequate and thoughtful regard.” Its depiction of calm in an era of tumult rendered it especially profound.
SEBAS VELASCO UNVEILS A MURAL IN MANTOVA, ITALY
Spanish-born street artist Sebas Velasco painted “Tempesta Silenziosa (Quiet Storm)” in Mantova, Italy. Velasco completed the mural in Mantova’s Bezel neighborhood, where Without Frontiers, Lunetta a Colori has curated large-scale projects since 2016. The festival marked its third edition in. 2018, from June 18th to 24th. Located in the province of Lombardy, Mantova has achieved notoriety for its “up and coming street art scene,” says Ann Tardif.
Velasco’s work depicts Malick LK, “a boy of Senegalese origin whose family chose to move into this neighborhood five years ago.” He tells this timely story of relocation in his signature, starkly honest tone portrayed in a photorealistic style. The interplay of light and dark, between the nighttime setting and the boy’s crisp white tee shirt emphasizes a sense of drama. Its frankness stands out regardless of the hour.
RUSTAM QBIC IN HELSINGØR, DENMARK
Russian artist Rustam Qbic finished his rich mural titled “Under the Roof” during September in Elsinore, Denmark. The artist espoused the work’s “universal messages of love, knowledge, and spirituality,” though allowed a modicum of enigma to remain by failing to explain the specific details surrounding its embodiment.
I conducted a careful reading which led me to conclude on the work’s stance that “in today’s rapidly globalizing society, anyone can belong anywhere so long as they maintain a loyalty to the place’s beauty and a commitment to carrying its story forward. In branching out, these new pioneers make our communities richer.”
Rustam Qbic could paint a simple, straightforward scene, and his vibrant style would allow it to come off as a fairtytale. His work on “Under the Roof”, with its hidden symbolism and ambiguous meaning lends an additional richness that’s hard to rival.
AN ENVIRONMENTALLY DRIVEN MURAL BY ENGY AL GARF IN GIZA, EGYPT
Engy Al Garf teamed up with 15 faculty member from Helwan University in October, to create an environmentally-minded mural with the help of DUCO and CLUSTER, with sponsorship by Orient Paints.
The mural proved a daring departure from Al Garf’s previous indoor art, mixing the scientific with her emotive portraits. Alongside her team, she blended images from heat maps depicting Giza’s problem areas with her somewhat painterly style to create an innovative work with a powerful message. As the child beams at the natural features around her, the viewer comes to understand the consequences we face, and what is at stake if we choose to ignore them.
The process itself made strides as well, with DUCO’s Hassan Ismail commenting, “it was interesting to experience realizing the mural depending almost solely on girls between the female lead artist together with fine art student assistants especially in such a neighborhood typically dominant by male driven activities and characteristics. Local residents are not used to watch women at work and not familiar about such large artistic murals, they were always curious about who is behind the ‘banner’ and how much it cost.”
A STRIKING PIECE ON THE DYSFUNCTIONAL SYSTEM OF THE DUTCH CHILD PROTECTION SERVICES
Dutch street artist Judith De Leeuw AKA JDL Street Art took to the streets of Herleen, The Netherlands to create “Child Of The State” in October as well. The mural was curated by Getting Up, a project that intends to expose “the dysfunctional Dutch Child Protection Services system,” as Wakim wrote.
JDL Street art entered the project with a personal connection, having experienced the country’s privatized ‘prison-like’ housing institutions herself. The project weighed heavily on her heart, but the mural showcases her ability to harness this emotional storm’s power. She created the haunting piece with “a visual concept based around the idea of captivity – being unable to move or breathe and emitting a sense or lack there of mental and physical control.” Her work highlights a profound sense of self-awareness, sensitivity, and internal control. JDL Street art is a youthful face on the scene, at 23 years old, and based in Amsterdam. She started with spray paint at 15, as “painting and drawing was her only escape from reality, due to an uneasy childhood. It helped her with the processing of emotions, and kept her stable.”
The execution of this project was aided by the very esteemed fine arts photographer Carla van Puttelaar who also felt very strongly about Judith’s concept and agreed to a very in depth collaboration with her and the end results were outstanding.
RETURN TO THE SEA BY NOMAD CLAN IN ST. PETERSBURG, FL
U.K. duo Nomad Clan, ventured to St. Petersberg in October to participate in the fourth edition SHINE Mural Festival, an annual event bolstering the city’s burgeoning street art scene. Their contribution, titled “Return to the Sea” tells a an epic tale “inspired by the colonization of Florida which wiped out the Tocobaga Indians that occupied the land prior,” says Rachel Margolin.
Nomad Clan often chooses to feature “local history or socio-economic issues related to the location of the piece.” Here, they allude to the story of Spanish Conquistador Panfilo de Narvez, “whose fleet of five ships and 600 men headed to Northern Mexico to colonize the area.” The ill-fated forces faced storms and desertion, and only 300 men eventually landed at Tampa Bay, where they were met by hostile natives. Narvez himself “travelled north through Florida, brutalizing chiefs and occupying territories, until he met his end after his army was weakened. Forced to flee his largely unsuccessful mission, karma sent a second sea storm to destroy his escape rafts. Narvez was never seen again. “
Navrez’s final moments are shown here, in this massive work, whose size fits the grandiose story it depicts. While history seems headed towards some immoral place, Nomad Clan reminds viewers in St. Petersberg of this occasion where the fates utilized nature to restore justice. There are powers larger than us at work, and they just might intervene in favor of the greater good.
BORONDO MARKS HIS RETURN TO THE STREETS WITH A MURAL IN MALEGNO, ITALY
Gonzalo Borondo marked his return to the streets in November with “Mites Terram Possident,” an awe-inspiring mural in Malegno, Italy, completed for the area’s ongoing Wall In Art project. In his mission to honor the Valcamonica’s UNESCO-designated status as a World Heritage Site, Borondo brought the best of his classical talent, and enlisted the help of schoolchildren native to the area.
He found inspiration in “the act of digging a surface and leaving a mark, and the awareness that nature is not only the source of spiritual research, but also the archetype of his way of living and building space.” Valcamonica is regarded for the many ancient rock carvings to be found throughout the valley. On the children’s first day of school, he invited them to add the finishing touches on his striking mural with their own engravings.
“Mites Terram Possident” gains its title from Malegno’s own motto, and incorporates numerous disparate elements into one cohesive mural “through a process of absorption, elaboration, technical research and restitution.” Gazing upon the immense mural, one has the feeling of attending church for themselves. The carvings below the scene humanize it, reminding us that we live in the same world as those ancient citizens once did.
nice selection. The mural painted by Borondo, really special. Stunning!
one of my favorite as well!