The 83rd Academy Awards may have overlooked street art for an Oscar nod but Red Bull Street Art View continues to redraw the map of the world.
Far removed from a darkened room of decadence in Los Angeles, the sun kissed street corners in the Argentine capital of Buenos Aires are being redefined by a man known as El Poeta. The Buenos Aires native has been putting his own slant on the city’s turbulent relationship with freedom of expression and the right to protest.
'We are seeing such an explosion of street art in Buenos Aires – it's the place to be!'
El Poeta’s latest project has seen him taken under the wing of the politicians. The artist has been charged with the task of adding colour to the upwardly mobile barrio of Palermo.
“We have been given a chance by the people who run Palermo to paint some spaces in the neighbourhood. There’s no money involved but we get something that is far more important to me, the space to paint. I’m working on the project with some friends who I have painted with for years, it’s always great to get together with my old crew.”
In recent years, street art has become as important to the tapestry of Buenos Aires as tango shows, football matches and steakhouses. One of the most popular stops for tourists visiting the city is a walking graffiti tour that takes in the best street art the city has to offer.
The self-taught Poeta explains how the Buenos Aires street art scene has developed in recent years.
“We are part of the second generation of graffiti artists in Buenos Aires. In the past four or five years we have been developing a better sense of how to get our message across in an artist way. We’re no longer just talking about graffiti but more of a street art sensibility.”
A strong sense of self-expression is a prerequisite in Buenos Aires for those wishing to simply order a coffee or board a bus. It's no coincidence therefore that El Poeta’s work has been met with such appreciation in his home city.
“As we have began to take our work more seriously we have got better reactions from museums and art galleries. We have also seen more and more young and old artists joining us and using the street to display their skills. Right now, we are seeing such an explosion of street art in Buenos Aires. This is the place to be!”
El Poeta was also impressed by the atmosphere in Brazil when he was invited to take a look at the Red Bull House of Art last year and now looks set to be involved in a scaled down version of the project taking place in Buenos Aires in April.
“We’re going to move into this house in Las Cañitas for a week, a few artists and a few musicians. We’re going to set the house up as we like it and then open it up to the public. I can’t wait to see what reactions we get from the people.”
We’ll certainly be taking up our invite to the show to find out what further words of wisdom El Poeta will be spelling out for the people of Buenos Aires.
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