Duo Amazonas the South American muralists have created their latest mural in Mieres, Spain. Based in Madrid they are Colombian Lina Castellanos and Argentinian Nati Andreoli. Their work, a result of a combined effort which included the citizens of the town.
History of the Town
Supported by art collective Raposu Roxu the artists wanted to create something that would connect to the history of the town. The Asturias region itself has become known for it’s murals. Parees Fest, the local street art festival has been creating work in the area for years.
Alonso
Based on a picture taken by local photographer ‘Alonso’ in 1954. It was an image chosen by Duo Amazonas as a way of reflecting the future of Mieres by taking a look into the past. ‘Fiestas de San Xuan. Publico en el Chacolin’ is the name of the picture. It shows a group of people enjoying a puppet play at a public space in Mieres.
Portrait of an Era
“This pic is a portrait of an era”, Alonso’s daughter Eli Alonso says. “His enormous graphic archive is a chronicle of the area and navigates through several decades. “We are very proud that one of my dad’s pictures is inspiring this wall now”. For many years Jose Manuel Perez Alonso was one of the official photographers of the village.
Community Process
The result of a community participatory process local people were asked how they saw their village in the future. First asking on social media and then meeting with students to ask how they would like their public spaces to be. Finally a gathering of locals with links to the history, culture and landscape of the area debated what the future might look like. Duo Amazonas listening closely to it all. Eventually choosing Alonso’s image as a way of encapsulating all those conversations.
Simple Things
Speaking about the image Raposu Roxu’s Laura Lara’s said: “the image means that there’s hope in Mieres. The willingness of going back to the simple things. The personal relationships and avoiding the exodus of the established population. It’s like the people portrayed in the pic are spectators from the past who look beyond the wall at what we do nowadays. At the same time, all of us can stare through that window to our past in order to build our future”.
The mural by Duo Amazonas was painted during June 2022 in Mieres, Spain. All photographs in this post are courtesy of Fer Alcalá.
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