Ehariko emakumeak

The opening ceremony served as a tribute to Gregoria “Goya” Fernández de Landa and Maritxu Paiueta “for their contribution to the people”. Both are protagonists in the mural.

The name Kakiturri comes from the state in which the source was found

GASTEIZ. Basque artist and muralist Irantzu Lekue has presented her latest project in the Ali - Ehari Square. A place that maintains the essence of a town with two gastronomic societies, a bowling alley and a landscape surrounded by “eras and portegaus”, part of the iconic landscape of Alava. The years, on the other hand, have changed the environment and what were once "pieces or work plots" have become huge buildings of histrionic architecture, explains Joaquín Landa, a neighbor of Ali "pueblo". One of these plots is the one occupied, for example, by Goya Fernández de Landa's cows. "They walked until later in the Palace, where they had a campaign," they explain. All until in the 90s, the crisis and European laws forced the majority of dairy farms in the territory to be closed, they explain. Goya Fernández de Landa has been precisely one of the honorees at the opening ceremony of this new project by Irantzu Lekue. Along with her, Maritxu Paiueta was also honored "founder of the Day of the village women," says Andoni Gomez, "Tazo".

Paiueta and Fernández de Landa share the limelight in a mural of more than 15 meters long that covers the town of Ali. “It is curious the feeling of belonging that exists here, to the roots, to the people. In the participatory process, 95% of the contributions have revolved around their traditions, values. Basically I think it is an exercise in collective memory. To know where the people come from to define where they are going. Naomi Klein said that you have to go to the roots, get to know them, locate yourself on the map. That is precisely what the people of Ehari have decided to do, "explains the muralist Irantzu Lekue. The work together with the ARTgia team -formed only by women- with the artists Alba Tojo and Rebeca Urizar. Between the three of them they have painted this huge wall within the #GoraBrotxak program, which has had the help of the Youth program of the Vitoria - Gasteiz City Council. “We are specialized in developing this type of projects that combine art with citizen participation, gender perspective and Basque. Actions where we bring art to the street ”, stresses Lekue.

It is the first time that a mural has been developed in the village of Ali. "The wall was very ugly. It was sad. They have cleaned it up, painted it and greatly improved the image when entering the town. I am very happy ”, explains Angel Zabala, Ali's neighbor. Virginia Expósito thinks similarly, who underlines “the great work of the artists and the result: it is what we wanted. They have shaped our ideas, our town on a wall that was dilapidated, that they filled with graffiti and have turned a no place into a very pleasant place ”“ All this also involving the children who have helped in the beginning of a beautiful mural that It allows us to see the past and present of the municipality with a historical and gender perspective ”, adds Andoni Gomez“ Tazo ”, Mayor of Ali.

United Nations

Irantzu Lekue explained that in Ali, “the idea has been to put the concept of learning by doing into practice. Internalize the concept while carrying out the action ”, he stresses. "We have implemented our techniques of citizen participation and our commitment to improve aesthetics but also socially, creating bridges and using art as a vehicle for social transformation," he stresses. Irantzu Lekue explains that he has developed these concepts using the experience “and level of conceptualization” acquired in March in Geneva, during his stay at the United Nations headquarters with Unesco Etxea.
They attended the UN Human Rights Council where they attended the 37th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council.