‘PATIPERRO, THE DIARY OF A SUDAKA’ OUT NOW

At last, the book “PATIPERRO, The Diary of a Sudaka” is out today. For this launch, here at MTN-World we have a short description penned by Alberto F., author of the book’s introduction.

Having formed part of this project and having witnessed its gestation throughout the last few years led me to the inevitable conclusion that the physical launch of PATIPERRO would hold no secrets for me.  But maybe I was wrong…

The first impression you have when holding this book in your hands is the impact of its size.  We’re talking about a book that’s almost 400 pages, 32 cm long by 24 wide.  2.6 kg of weight that hints at the sheer amount of material that you’ll find inside.  Consequently, it leads us to think about all the work that must have gone into it…

23.4 x 31.9 cm
2.6 kg
392 pages
30,000 words of text

29 cities over 4 continents, and more than 20 internationally renowned writers star in this editorial masterpiece dedicated to the most humane part of train graffiti.

The cover design is also worth mentioning. The elegant white is slashed violently by a red spray-painted line.  A clear statement of intent about its content: graffiti.  But like any work of art, this detail of design is subject to infinite interpretations.  Mine in particular is that the line symbolizes borders, and red, the color of danger: a minimalist metaphor about adventure and travel.  On top of the line we find the Chilean passport, which tells of the cultural origins of the book’s protagonist. The line has a subtle relief that adds an exquisite finish to the cover.

This aesthetic elegance is a constant trend throughout the almost 400 pages in which visual information explodes like fireworks, leaving a place clearly marked for the texts, essential to understanding each of the images and compositions that appear in the chapters.

The large format photos allow us to appreciate the size of the book: the dimensions of the pages allow us to literally dive into the images, a somewhat ostentatious aspect that is balanced by the suggestive humility of the matte texture of the paper.

Certain details of the publication are particularly on point. Like the index, which organizes the chapters according to the running shoes that he wore throughout each adventure. Or the inside cover — which in most books are reserved for ornamental prints — show a collage of graffiti that Ale VLOK painted in Chile, in nostalgic black and white, giving importance to the main themes: his trips.

Barcelona, New York, London, Berlin, Tokyo, Cape Town, Dublin, Bucharest, Bilbao, Porto and many other cities…

Vino, Moses, Afiler, Edward Nightingale, Whel, Roy, Toe, Week, Rioga, Osman, Cyrus, Runis, Hell, Mister, Mser, Cola, Stur, Mr. Hapy, Deks, Cent, Dans and more…

We’re not going to break down the content soaked in PATIPERRO’s pages.  Even if we wanted to, we would need way too many posts like this one.  But without a doubt, it must be noted that this book brings together a series of landscapes and, above all, a series of personal portraits of graffiti writers that’s difficult to replicate.  We’ll leave the enjoyment of this unique experience to those who decide to delve unos this editorial work. One that, in the future, will be a fundamental piece to understanding international graffiti of the last two decades. Ask your local MTN retailer.