March 3rd, 2019 concluded the third edition of Urvanity Art Fair, a relatively new urban art festival in Madrid, Spain. Urvanity’s manifesto emphasizes the importance of new trends in the manner with which art and cities interact, and the festival has dubbed itself “a platform for a New Contemporary Art.” Simultaneously though, Urvanity focuses on innovation through the lens of tradition as it relates to the festival’s setting, noting that “it is important not only to consider the work itself but to understand the public space where this very work is composed.” As a participant in this year’s edition, Artez brought his modern style to Madrid, where he completed “About This Town”, a mural that subtly honors the place it now calls home.
“About This Town” is found on Calle de Fuenecarral 31, in the center of the city’s soul. In a statement, he explained that this “mural tells us the story of Madrid, a place where visitors from all around the globe are welcome to come and enjoy the vivid artistic and cultural content that this city has to offer. Positioned in the very centre of the town, this mural creates a contrast with the pedestrian shopping street in which it is located. Instead of carrying shopping bags, [the] girl depicted on the mural is holding a pile of books important for the history and culture of the city, and a plant with a small birdhouse that is inviting all the ‘birds’ to come and feel like home!”
Artez often blends his love for books and bicycles into his murals, infusing them with an innocent, dreamy touch. The girl’s clothing and hair personify her as stylish, but relaxed, and she glances out of the mural’s frame with a studious gaze. Viewers can see information on two of the books she carries. The orange book situated second from the top of her stack is Miau by Benito Pérez Galdós. Encylopedia Britannica states that Galdós is heralded “as the greatest Spanish novelist since Miguel de Cervantes.” His works revolve around “the history and society of nineteenth-century Spain.” Published in 1888, Miau tells the tale of a working class family living in Madrid at the time.
While the text on the spine of the book just two below Miau falls slightly out of the mural’s frame, viewers might assume that it reads “Goya”. Francisco Goya was a Spanish painter born to a humble family in Aragon. He was also, in this writer’s opinion, one of art history’s most badass cynics. At the age of forty, he became court painter to the Spanish royalty. It was an astounding achievement for someone of his beginnings, but one that likely aided in his growing resentment towards society as a concept. Today, he is best known for Los Caprichos, eighty prints with a tongue-in-cheek approach to critiquing humanity as a whole. Goya’s immense talent render them poignant.
Artez notes in his statement that it took him “four days to paint this mural, with a total surface size of around 60m2.” While his work often incorporates nods to the distinct environments in which they are painted, “About This Town” is more explicit in its tribute. Artez’s work inspires great appreciation for the rich history to be found in Madrid, perhaps best personified by the writers who documented their experiences watching it unfold.
Artez: website | facebook | instagram
Urvanity Art: website | facebook | instagram
