Parees 2020, the Mural Intervention Festival of Oviedo (north of Spain), has concluded with 4 new wall art pieces from a total of 22 that have been created since the event first steps back in 2017. Despite of all the inconvenience caused by Covid-19, Parees was able to keep its strengh as one of the main cultural meetings in the biz, taking place with no incidents and following all the sanitary protocols.
Four artists, all of them from Spain, have taken part in this edition, creating artworks inspired by local themes through one of the main signs of identity of the event: the participatory processes. Coordinated by Raposu Roxu, this way of working implies the neighbours in the creative process of the walls, getting artists and citizens in touch. The result is that a lot of locals feel the pieces as their own.
Manolo Mesa has created a mural playing homage to the abandoned crockery factory of San Claudio in a hot spot of Oviedo. Parees team launched an open call on social media asking the locals to take pics of their San Claudio pieces (plates, teapots, trays, cups…) while telling the stories behind those collections. The artist visited some of those neighbours’ houses for meeting them first hand and shooting some pics of the pottery compositions.
Mural by Manolo Mesa
Harsa Pati, Arantxa Recio’s artistic nickname, turned into an artwork a traditional fairy tale from Asturias which was discovered to her by local writer and storyteller Milio’l del Nido. The 50 metres long wall of the Germán Fernández Ramos Public School was the canvas of a drawn fable about false appearances where nothing is what it really looks like.
Mural by Harsa Pati
Lidia Cao has dedicated her wall to the local writer Dolores Medio. Lidia’s piece combines the literary work of Dolores as well as her condition as a woman ahead of her time, vindicating gender equality at the same time that was a victim of the censorship of those years. The winner of the 1952 Nadal Award is presented taking a seat in front of her typewriter with 2 observing vultures behind her back. Cosme Marina, chairman of Dolores Medio Foundation, informed to Lidia about several facts of the now beloved and respected author.
Mural by Lidia Cao
Last but not least, local artist Manu García painted his first ever outdoor wall at El Milán College Campus. The piece is a tribute to ‘fiestas de prao’, a form of very popular local summer parties. ‘El Nolas’ investigation included visits to the photographic archives of Asturias as well as his own personal memories from his hometown.
Mural bu Manu Garcia
The feedback from Oviedo’s citizens has been the most enthusiastic one in the four editions of Parees. There were tons of neighbours congratulating the artists for their work, saying nothing but good words and sending pretty good vibes about the whole thing. The Festival, which has become a true sign of identity for Oviedo, has created a beautiful mixture of art and history on the city walls.
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