Barrios-Project-Elto..

Eltono
www.eltono.com
[email protected]
The
Barrios Project
(www.eltono.com/exterior/barrios)
I have always been fascinated by auto-construction. From the gate at the end of a garden to a brick house found
on the slope of a hill in Brazil. This type of architecture is immediate, organic. It expands in an almost natural
way. This urban fabric’s apparent chaos is often more human than one found in a city where the construction
follows standard urban planning. Aesthetically speaking, worn out textures and the discovery of a variety of
materials (bricks, cement blocks, metal panels, wooden slabs…) have always attracted me as an artistic surface.
The Barrios project began in April of 2006 when, invited by some friends, I painted in a favela in Rio de Janeiro.
After exchanging ideas with the residents, I was very pleased to see that they were so receptive to what I was
painting. They really appreciated the colors and the composition. This positive reaction led me to reflect on
contemporary art and specifically its access to the public. It was obvious that, unfortunetly, the residents of the
favela didn’t often visit museums or art galleries. Even though the appreciation of a work of art is universal,
access to art itself is not. Since then, it has become a special mission for me to bring contemporary art to places
where there is none. When discussing this with my friend Nazza, a fellow artist, he said, “what is the point of
painting in the street in the center of Buenos Aires where people have money and can buy art and pay to enter
museums, I only paint on the outskirts of the city.” He is completely right… Why paint for free in places where
people can afford and are provided with access to the art world? Where people really need art is in the barrios!
This is not about outside eyes prying, or looking into a foreign world. My idea is to create a dialogue with the
residents and enrich their daily lives by providing them with a humble gift. Sharing with them what I know and
receiving what they can teach me. With Barrios, the human experience is always more rewarding for me than
the artistic experience.
Barrios is an open project in constant development, more interventions and publications will come in the future.
Of course, any idea or proposal is welcome as I am always looking for new opportunities to make art more
democratic.
Below you will find photographic galleries of six projects that I have developed within the framework of Barrios
up until now. The photos were taken by project organizers, friends, neighbors and a few are my own.
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Gardiena Azul
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 04/2006
Two days in the street of Gardenia Azul gathering with the residents and painting their doors.
More details: www.eltono.com/exterior/gardenia-azul
Puerta Lumbreras
Puerto Lumbreras, Murcia, Spain, 08/2006
Two-week artistic residence within the neighborhood, 150 doors were painted.
In collaboration with Emece and Puerto Lumbreras City Council.
A book about the project has been edited by the city council: www.eltono.com/shop/puerta-lumbreras-book.
More details: www.eltono.com/exterior/puerta-lumbreras
Huasteca, Santa Catarina and Espinazo
Nuevo León, Mexico, 11/2007
Paintings made with the help of Nrmal and local artists Maf and Screw.
Puerto Vallarta
Jalisco, Mexico, 10/2008
Ten day artistic residence. Invited by Paco Rosas and Libelulart.
More details: www.eltono.com/exterior/puerto-vallarta
Residencia Tampiquito
Monterrey, Mexico, 04/2009
Two-month artistic residence in Tampiquito, a popular neighbourhood in San Pedro (Monterrey, Nuevo León, México). I
lived and painted for two months in the neighbourhood sharing everyday life with the residents.
In collaboration with Nrmal and El Narval.
More details: www.eltono.com/exterior/residencia-tampiquito
Villa Urquiza and La Matanza
Buenos Aires, Argentina, 12/2007 and 04/2010
Paintings made with the help of local artist Nazza Stencil.
Portería, La Matanza
Buenos Aires, Argentina, 04/2010
We were returning to my friend Nazza’s home after painting, when we ran into the neighbor´s children playing football
against a wall in front of the house. I paint lines, we had white paint and we were walking through a neighborhood in
Argentina… It was pretty obvious that I would end up painting a goal on the wall! This is probably the most interactive
piece I have ever painted.
Exhibitions
Individual :
05/2010: Retícula, Montana Gallery, Seville, Spain
04/2009: Residencia Tampiquito, Monterrey, Mexico
01/2009: Coriandoli, Cripta747, Torino, Italy
01/2009: Pubblico, Rojo Artspace, Milano, Italy
09/2008: PLAF – Autonomous Mechanisms, New York, U.S.A.
07/2008: Bermellón, Rojo Artspace, Barcelona, Spain
06/2008: Astillas, La Culpable, Lima, Peru
01/2008: Montagens, Galería Adesivo, Porto Alegre, Brazil
01/2008: Petits collages, Rojo Art Space, Rosario, Argentina
12/2007: Invertidos, Rojo Art Space, Sao Paulo, Brazil
10/2007: Eltono at ART, Monterrey, Mexico
11/2006: Eigenkunstruktion, Artitude, Berlin, Germany
01/2006: (x, y, z), Vacío9, Madrid, Spain
10/2002: Complémentaires, Vacío 9, Madrid, Spain
Collective (selection) :
05/2010: Sala de Arte Joven 2.0, Sala de Arte Joven de la Comunidad de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
04/2010: Intervenciones Urbanas Iberoamericanas, CCEBA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
04/2010: Postgraffiti, Geometría y Abstracción, MUAU, A Coruña, Spain
03/2010: Entre la Silla y la Madre, Alianza Francesa, Monterrey, Mexico - (Equipo Plástico)
02/2010: Murals, Fundación Miró, Barcelona, Spain
02/2010: ARCO 2010, Stand “Región de Murcia”, Madrid, Spain
11/2009: La Cuadrada, Centro Cultural de España, Lima, Peru - (Equipo Plástico)
05/2009: Observatori 2009, Valencia, Spain
05/2008: Street Art, Tate Modern Museum, London, U.K.
03/2008: Nomadaz, Scion Gallery, Los Angeles, U.S.A.
12/2007: Behind the seen, Ad Hoc Gallery, New York, U.S.A.
07/2007: Planet Prozess, Berlin, Germany
05/2007: Tercera muestra de Arte urbano, Alcobendas, Spain
02/2007: ARCO 2007, Madrid, Spain
01/2007: Privé och público, Göteborg, Sweden
09/2006: Pintura Mutante, Marco Museum, Vigo, Spain
02/2006: Kersvers, Post CS, Amsterdam, Holland
01/2006: I Bienal de Arte ONCE, Madrid, Spain
12/2005: Tras la pared, Annta Gallery, Madrid, Spain
03/2005: Urban edge show, Milano, Italy
02/2005: Rojo: Gold, New York, U.S.A.
02/2005: ARCO 2005, Madrid, Spain
09/2003: Ill communication, Manchester, U.K.
06/2003: Photo España 03, Madrid, Spain
09/2002: Liverpool Biennial, Liverpool, U.K.
06/2002: Coded Language, Atlanta, U.S.A.
02/2002: Doméstico ‘01, Madrid, Spain
Projects :
07/2010: Thăng Long Hotel Espana, Hanoi, Vietnam
08/2009: Rojo Out, Sao Paulo, Brazil
09/2007: Installation for La Noche en Blanco, Matadero, Madrid, Spain
04/2007: Cosmopoética, Cordoba, Spain
03/2007: Urbany Hostal, Seville, Spain
08/2006: Puerta Lumbreras, Spain
09/2005: Urban Art Festival, Gran Canaria, Spain
[email protected]
www.eltono.com