Circuito Mural festival took place this month with 13 street artists painting 10 new murals in Tafí Viejo, Tucumán inspired by local history, culture and traditions. Photos by Buenos Aires Street Art.
Artists Coche & Ángel Taboada – two of the artists who were invited to paint at Circuito Mural (photo © BA Street Art)
Tafi Viejo, located 15 kilometres from the city of San Miguel de Tucumán, is known as the ‘the ‘National Capital of Lemons’. Vero Corrales was one of the organisers of the 1st edition of the ‘Circuito Mural Festival’ to create a new street art circuit around the neighbourhood of Villa Obrera. She hopes that the town of Tafi Viejo will become as well known for its street art as its citrus production.
Artist Ignacio Stesina (photo © BA Street Art)
Ignacio Stesina (Cuore) painted a colourful mural relating to the rich indigenous history in the province of Tucumán in areas such as the Valleys of Calchaquí & the Quilmes Ruins.
New mural by RUIDO in Tafi Viejo (photo © BA Street Art)
Vero from artist collective RUIDO painted this mural (above) with Fernando Gallucci featuring portraits of three local girls and the yellow Lapacho flower. She said: “The reason for the festival was to invite some talented street artists to improve the public space while collaborating with the neighbours to put Tafí Viejo on the map as one of the best places to see murals in the region.”
Mural by Lina Besedina including railways with native plants (photo © BA Street Art)
The Russian-Ukrainian muralist Lina Besedina was one of the street artists who was invited to participate in the event. After four days in the heat using spray, brushes and rollers on the top of a crane while listening to heavy metal music, Lina completed her striking mural that measures 8m wide by 5m high.
The artwork remembers the time of splendour when Tafí Viejo had one of the largest railway workshops in South America and they exported lemons to all parts of the world. “Although the industry has fallen a few years ago, this legacy is still very present in the place almost as if it ran in people’s neighbors,” said Lina.
Completed mural showing train track veins by Lina Besedina (photo © BA Street Art)
“I wanted to represent this bond through the arms of a hard-working person whose veins form the train tracks. The gesture of the figure is one of offering, holding a bouquet of the pink Lapacho, which is a native tree very loved by the inhabitants of the town. The message I wanted to convey is that although past times cannot return, the persevering and fighting people will always manage to bloom something new and beautiful.”
Ciclope painting their new mural at a school in Tafi Viejo (photo © BA Street Art)
The artist duo Julián and Pilar, who use the pseudonym Cíclope, finished painting a mural on a wall of a local school that includes native trees and plants such as the Yellow Lapacho, Bahuinia and Goat’s Foot.
Finished mural by Ciclope (photo © BA Street Art)
The mural by Ciclope is located outside Escuela de Comercio Dr. Alejandro Heredia, Villa Obrera, Tafí Viejo.
Simon Jatip adding details to his mural of a ‘fletera’ (photo © BA Street Art)
Simon Jatip is an Argentine street artist from Ayacucho, Buenos Aires, who painted a mural of a ‘fletera’ (a type of van with a loud speaker that drives round neighbourhoods asking for old fridges, washing machines & mattresses etc) & his artwork also includes other references to cultural icons such as singers Gladys ‘La Bomba Tucumana’ and Higuito Flores.
Soledad Moisas painting things from everyday life (photo © BA Street Art)
Finished mural by Soledad Moisas (photo © BA Street Art)
The artist Soledad Moisas (Ayacucho, Buenos Aires) paints murals with images of scenes from everyday life and includes typical elements of the cities she visits such as the famous Tucumán empanadas, Gauchito Gil, the Virgin of Lujan, native flowers and popular local drinks like ‘Fernet and Coke’ or ‘tinto de verano’.
Finished artworks by Coche & Ángel Taboada (photo © BA Street Art)
Artists Coche (Tucumán) and Ángel Taboada (Santiago del Estero) painted a series of artworks relating to Diego Maradona including a cartoon-style character recreating the famous ‘Hand of God’ goal and a realistic portrait of the Argentine footballer from the 1986 World Cup.
Portrait of Maradona with badge of Independiente (photo © BA Street Art)
The duo also painted Maradona smoking a Havana cigar with a tattoo of the Virgin of Guadalupe on his arm together with the shield of Club Atletico Independiente de Tafí Viejo.
Evanfelino painting a mural featuring cats (photo © BA Street Art)
Evanfelino and Mariano Orell have painted two murals together along the street known as Paseo Paul Harris. One features two cats and the other features two dogs.
Dogs mural painted by Mariano Orell (photo © BA Street Art)
The last day of the festival also included a street art tour with talks by some of the street artists participating.
Rodrigo Acra in front of his finished mural (photo © BA Street Art)
Rodrigo Acra from Berisso, Buenos Aires created a colourful geometric mural located on calle Prof. Marino incorporating elements of abtract art, geometry and graffiti.
The event was organised by Vero Corrales, Fernando Gallucci, Leandro Fernández, Mariano Orell, in addition to the help of Florencia Vidal and Lucía Palenzuela. The festival was made possible with support from sponsors including Muicipalidad de Tafi Viejo, Sullair cranes, Becerra Pinturias, Kuwait Aerosols, Hosteria Municipal Atahualpa Yupanqui, University of Tucumán and Buenos Aires Street Art.
All photos © Buenos Aires Street Art
