Tag Archives: art

alex update

21 Friday May 2021

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So remember me telling you about my friend Alexandra del Bene’s crazy and wonderful new mural project the other day? Well, I had to go and see for myself how she was getting on. Turns out I showed up on the first day of actual painting. Previously the walls of these fifteen buildings had been freshly painted white to create her “canvases” and then, for each mural, one of her paintings is projected onto the wall at night (by Alex’s friend Fran), and she traces out the basic outline before starting the actual painting. Seeing it up close like this just floored me. I mean, the amount of work, the fact that Alex will spend all this time up in a cherry picker when it’s 35º in Sevilla… the sheer effort being put into of all this incredible.

The buildings are facing the Port and are mostly house university students. Apparently the paintings should last about four years and, with some upkeep, as long as eight. But what happens after this herculean task is finished is out of Alex’s hands. Apparently it’s also up for a Guinness Record.

Anyhow, I walked over to the site… a good hour’s walk from home (I’m still not using public transit). And I stupidly didn’t leave early enough so I got there when it was already super hot, BUT I also got there when Alex was finishing for the day and so we went out for a beer and a chat. I’ll be keeping an eye on this and visiting during its various stages of completion. But next time will leave early in the morning.

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the amazing alexandra del bene

17 Monday May 2021

Posted by in art, friends, sevilla, spain

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alex mural project

I was so excited when Alex pinged me with a link to this video about her latest project. I had no idea that she was doing this and it’s absolutely amazing. She will be creating 15 gigantic murals themed around the 500th anniversary of the first round the world voyage, the Magellan-El Cano circumnavigation (1519 – 1522). See those buildings up there? Those will be her canvases. Located in Calle Tarfia, facing the river it is expected to set a Guinness world record.

Below you can see virtual depictions of how they will look when finished. Impressive, right?

I first met Alexandra by chance ten years ago when she was starting out here working as a “graffiti artist for hire” painting shop and bar shutters so that they wouldn’t get vandalised by taggers. One day I saw her painting a bar shutter while out for a walk on a Sunday afternoon and stopped to chat and we’ve been friends ever since. She once even joined one of my tapas tours in progress while “on the job” painting the shutters at Bodeguita Romero.

And while Alexandra still does the occasional shutter art, she is now also an award-winning artist recognised both here and abroad. An amazing accomplishment for someone who arrived here from Rome in 2010 with a young daughter to start a new life. I am quite in awe of not only her talent but also her energy and spirit. You can check out her website here…

Alexandra del Bene

alex murals

alex virtual murals Also posted on Azahar Sevilla

adapting?

08 Friday Jan 2021

Posted by in art, covid, culture, sevilla

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primavera

All of the Fiestas de Primavera have been cancelled for this year, well in advance (unlike last year when it was all quite unexpected and last minute). This means Semana Santa, the Feria de Abril and the accompanying month of bullfights will not be happening. Once again.

I came across these small sculptures in a shop window and thought they were interesting. Couldn’t tell if they were a playful mash-up of the various fiesta images or if there was a more serious (sinister?) meaning to them. But it also looks like a way of adapting? Since it’s unlikely we will return to how things used to be.

alfredo

27 Tuesday Oct 2020

Posted by in art, sevilla, tapas bars

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Yay! I was so happy to pick up my framed print by local artist Alfredo Rodríguez @alfredorfz today. During lockdown Alfredo started creating colourful paintings of Sevilla bar façades and l fell in love with this one of my beloved Bar Casa Eme, which closed for good in March. I first saw the print on his Instagram page and left a comment saying I WANT ONE!. Then Alfredo got in touch and said he was selling limited prints and I placed my order.

We talked about where I would pick it up and it turned out that Alfredo lives in the same street as me! In fact I could wave at him right now if he was out on his balcony. How random is that??

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But despite our close proximity, because of my weird availability times for going out and his work schedule (he is front of house at Barra Baja) it worked out easier to pick up the print at the restaurant while I was out running other errands. Then I asked where I could get it framed and he recommended a place he likes, so that’s where I took it.

And today I hung it up in living room / office where I can see it all the time.

It’s a happy reminder of happier times. Go check out Alfredo’s work and get in touch with him if you’d like one of the limited prints. They’re all gorgeous. He’s done nine so far and I hear he’s making even more!

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banksy – blm

09 Tuesday Jun 2020

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banksy blm

Nope, not jumping on the BLM bandwagon, as I have long known that the Black Experience will never be mine, so there is no way I can truly feel what they are feeling and I won’t pretend to (though I stand with them and empathise as much as I can). My own deeper feelings about systemic racism have been with me since I was quite young, as I grew up with both racists and victims of racism. But right now all we can do is give support however we can, and understand that the protesters, rioters and looters are for the most part three quite different groups of people. Amazing that the protesters are out there in a middle of a global pandemic. It’s both magnificent and terrifying. I’m sure George Floyd could never have imagined this would be his legacy.

Anyhow, just posting this pic of the Banksy tribute to George Floyd. I found it very moving.

At first I thought I should just shut up and listen to black people about this issue. But why would I do that? It’s not their problem, it’s mine.

People of colour are being failed by the system. The white system. Like a broken pipe flooding the apartment of the people living downstairs. The faulty system is making their life a misery, but it’s not their job to fix it. They can’t, no one will let them in the apartment upstairs. This is a white problem. And if white people don’t fix it, someone will have to come upstairs and kick the door in.

~ Banksy