Series on urban art in Latin America dedicates first episode to Bolivia

The Bolivian visual artist El Marsh, in the series “New World, Street Painting in America”

Through urban art, groups and individuals who have been silenced by “academic” culture find a powerful voice. This form of social and aesthetic expression brings up traumas, claims and dreams that would hardly have circulated otherwise within the institutions of the cultural industry. The walls come to life, they become living canvases on which marginalized voices find space to be heard and seen. The unprecedented series “New World, Street Painting in Latin America”, shown exclusively on Curta!, will explore the theme and approach a different country in each episode. They are: Bolivia, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil and Mexico. Directed by Belisario Franca and Juan Tamayo.

The first chapter, dedicated to Bolivia, tells that the country is home to a mestizo and indigenous population, made up of more than 36 nations, each with its perceptions, cosmovisions, colors and different ways of seeing the world. And, therefore, it is important to break with the classism present in Bolivian society and walk a path that allows decolonizing and valuing the true essence of the Bolivian people. It is recognized that decolonization is only possible when combined with depatriarchalization, that is, the break with patriarchal structures that permeate society.

For the artists and activists featured in the episode, graffiti plays a key role in occupying public space, especially the streets. They are considered the only space where democracy and history in Bolivia and throughout Latin America is represented. Through graffiti, artists express and resist, enabling visual decolonization and the rescue of cultural identities.

Among those interviewed is Leonel Jurado, muralist at the Elephant Cemetery, who shares his perspective on the recent tradition of urban art in Bolivia. He and his colleague Javier del Carpio, both from academia, decided to take their art to the streets as a way to reach and involve the majority of people, escaping the bureaucracy and elitism of galleries. Javier, also a muralist at Cemitério dos Elefantes, points out that one of the group's goals was to get closer to social movements.

Urban art researcher Rodny Montoya recalls that graffiti entered Bolivian culture in the 1990s, with the intention of expressing individual and group identity. He mentions the influence of the Tiwanakota (pre-Columbian civilization) and the “Creole-Urban” elements in the graffiti works, thus representing the identity of the Bolivian population.

In a statement, urban artist El Marsh reveals that, when creating an icon, his objective is not necessarily political, but recognizes that street art can also be transformative. He highlights the country's past of racism and the reluctance of many people to accept their own background, and uses his art as a way to promote awareness of diversity and cultural mix.

The production of the series is by Giros Filmes and Tercermundo Producciones and was made possible by Curta! through the Audiovisual Sectorial Fund (FSA). The premiere is on Tuesday of the Arts, May 30, at 11 pm.

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