More than 40 artists helped transform a housing estate in Tandil, Buenos Aires, by painting some eye-catching artworks with characters relating to magic on its walls. The event was organised and curated by artist Ceb. Photos by Buenos Aires Street Art.
Characters painted by Seba Cener, Chax Crea, Pier, Asel & Mocha (photo © BA Street Art)
The street art and graffiti meeting in Tandil was held over two days and was organised by local street artist and curator Ceb (Camila Calderón), together with Juan Iriberri of junior football school CASLA (Club de Amigos Siempre Ligados a la Amistad). Some of the best known street artists and graffiti artists in Argentina attended the event that also included live music with folklore, rock, rap and murga (local percussion band) performances.
Artist & event organiser Ceb (photo © BA Street Art)
We met up with Ceb this week in Tandil while she was painting a new mural on the wall of an antiques shop on the corner of 9 de Julio and 25 de Mayo.
Monoblock complex in Tandil with murals by Poshy & Mone invited by Ceb (photo from 2022 © BA Street Art)
Ceb told Buenos Aires Street Art how one of the biggest street art and graffiti events to be held in Tandil came about. “I’ve been working in the neighborhood for several years,” she revealed. “The project grew out of the idea of painting the 10-metre-high side walls of the apartment blocks. After the pandemic, I came up with a plan to transform them with murals and I invited several artists from Tandil to join in the project.”
Open invitation – wall next to football pitch gets magic makeover (photo © BA Street Art)
Ceb added: “We really connected with the neighbours, and I received a message from one of them saying, ‘Cami, the football pitch looks so bare, could you give it a fresh coat of paint?’ I told them I couldn’t do it alone but would send out an open invitation to artists so whoever showed up, showed up. I thought maybe five people would come, but I started getting lots of messages, and 45 artists signed up! It was a huge surprise that the call-out was so successful.”
Characters by Seba Cener, Chax Crea & Pier (photo © BA Street Art)
Artists including Seba Cener, Chax Crea, Pier, Mocha, Spell and Cof all painted some eye-catching characters with aerosol relating to magic. Ceb explained where the idea came from. “When the artists began talking among themselves and considering a theme, a common thread to tie all the pieces together, I left it up to them rather than imposing a theme myself; this magic theme emerged from that freedom. The artists loved painting and collaborating; that’s how art unites and each artist created their own piece, yet it all came together as one massive, collective work.
Harry Potter by Mocha & characters by Spell & Cof (photo © BA Street Art)
Tandil is famous for its ancient crystalline rocks and large granite formations such as ‘El Centinela’ and La Movediza’ that stand out in what is a relatively flat region. The stones and the area are often described as having a special vibration steeped in myths, legends and mysticism. We’ve always had a great time there and you can also find several spas, centres dedicated to massages, reiki as well as shamanic healing.
Shamen & magical characters painted by Spelluznante & Cof (photo © BA Street Art)
“Tandil is closely linked to the mystical specifically the ‘Enchanted Road’ (‘Camino del Encantado’) near Don Bosco,” revealed Ceb. “It’s a road said to possess a certain magic: if you stop your car there, it seems to move uphill on its own, which really amazes people. There is a mystical aura here, too, thanks to a famous local figure named René Lavand – one of Argentina’s most important illusionists. His catchphrase was: ‘It cannot be done any slower,’ because he moved his hands so deliberately that you couldn’t figure out how he performed the magic tricks happening right in front of you. And you’d find yourself wondering exactly when he made the movement to pull off the trick. For sure, there’s sense of mysticism that surrounds Tandil.”
Mural by Pablo Ruarte (photo © BA Street Art)
Muralist Pablo Ruarte was one of several artists who travelled to Tandil especially for the event. His mural (above) is called ‘The Transfer’ (‘El traslado’).
Anime artwork by EVR graffiti (photo © BA Street Art)
EVR painted these anime characters (above) either side of his graffiti piece to give the side of this monoblock a new look.
Football pitch with cartoon characters by artists including Valen & Lena with housing blocks behind (photo © BA Street Art)
Artists like Valen and Lena (above) also painted cartoon characters and graffiti letters around the football pitch and the event included a painting workshop. Ceb added: “It was a fantastic experience – not to mention the wonderful neighbours who came to offer us maté and food, or use of their bathrooms. The artists told me they had never felt so welcome.”
Piece by Pairas & characters by Graffo in front of the monoblocks (photo © BA Street Art)
As you can see in the photos, the street art project has dramatically transformed many of the grey walls around the housing estate. And Ceb mentioned about how the neighbourhood had gained a negative reputation by some people in the city based on misconceptions and stereotypes. “This neighborhood in Tandil often faces stigma,” revealed Ceb. “It’s striking to see the contrast after the artists who came to paint speak so highly of the place. While the neighbourhood has sometimes been viewed as dangerous or unsafe, I truly believe the colour has transformed absolutely everything.”
Characters by Poshy & Daro & letters by JPU & Mone (photo © BA Street Art)
Tandil-based artists Poshy and Mone joined forces with Daro and JPU from Eme Crew to paint this striking collaboration (above). Ceb spoke about the positive effect street art and graffiti can have on spaces: “I think art plays a crucial role in social transformation and communication. The way people view the neighborhood has shifted significantly, and the artists have helped drive that change. Above all, there’s the joy of meeting up and painting – sharing the experience with other artists who love the same things you do. Sometimes we feel like the odd ones out in other settings, but here we found a whole group of ‘misfits’ coming together to fill the space with colour and bring it to life.”
Garfield by Graffo (photo © BA Street Art)
Graffo painted Garfield and Odie cartoon characters (above) on this wall by the housing complex.
Graffiti by Nike Tekisiera (photo © BA Street Art)
You can check out the new artworks yourself on the corner of Avenida Perón & Juan B. Justo in Tandil.
All photos © Buenos Aires Street Art
