Street Art Cities

Between October and November 2022, Barcelona based artistic center B-Murals curated and produced Osona Artimur Festival, a never been done initiative of the Department of Tourism of Osona (an idyllic region up north BCN full of rivers, mountains and beautiful landscapes), in collaboration with the Catalan company Transit Projectes.

19 well renowned artists from the international muralism scene, the Spanish contemporary art world and some local guns selected through open calls and participatory processes, intervened the streets and the public space of 5 different villages - Prats de Lluçanès, Manlleu, Sant Julià de Vilatorta, Sant Bartomeu del Grau and Alpens -, supported by an extensive production team which included assistants, runners, photographers and filmers.
More info on https://osonaturisme.cat/artimur/

 Alberto Montes is the second artist selected by curatorship to paint in the village of Sant Bartomeu. The floral work he left on the facade of the town hall is the result of his research and readings about the natural landscape of Sant Bartomeu.
The flowers depicted in this mural - poppies, bellflowers and black bells - are typical species of the area that used to grow in the place where the factory of Sant Bartomeu was erected. A building that, apart from its role in the industrial development of the village, opened a wound the village center and its natural landscape before falling into obsolescence.
The deconstruction of the factory gave way to recovery processes both geographical, natural and of identity. And, in parallel, Alberto Montes’ flowers grow on the wall as a symbol of this recovery, of hope and of the identity heritage of Sant Bartomeu.
The background of the mural is composed of overlapping photographs from the town's archive, which give a sense of depth and stability to the design. Although the background is not legible, it gives the intuition that an image is hidden behind the flowers. The background, besides being another reference to the identity of the village, raises intrigue and interest in the eyes of the viewer.
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 Alberto Montes es el segundo artista seleccionado por curaduría para pintar en el pueblo de Sant Bartomeu. La obra de diseño floral que dejó en la fachada del ayuntamiento es fruto de su investigación y de sus lecturas sobre la naturaleza y el paisaje de Sant Bartomeu.

Las flores representadas en este mural - amapolas, campaneta blava y porrazas - son especies típicas de la zona que solían crecer en el lugar donde se erigio la fábrica de Sant Bartomeu. Un edificio que, a parte de su rol en el desarrollo industrial del pueblo, abrió una herida en el centro del pueblo y su paisaje natural, antes de caer en la obsolescencia.
La deconstrucción de la fábrica dió paso a procesos de recuperación a la vez geográficos, identitarios y naturales del pueblo. Y, en paralelo, las flores de Alberto M. crecen en la pared como símbolo de esta recuperación, de la esperanza y del patrimonio identitario de Sant Bartomeu.
El fondo del mural está constituido por fotografias del archivo del pueblo, que a través de la superposición dan una sensación de profundidad y estabilidad al diseño. A pesar de que no se lea el fondo, nace la intuicion que se esconde una imagen detrás de las flores. El fondo, además de ser un guiño más a la identidad del pueblo, crea una intriga y un interés en los ojos del espectador.