ART ON TRUCKS: MURALISM INVADES TRUCKS ON IBIZA

For purists, graffiti is on trains, but it has spread to occupy other surfaces. Will this also happen with other disciplines? Can muralism jump from walls to moving surfaces? Check out Art On Trucks, where graffiti writers and muralists push their limits both in style and medium, in Ibiza. We spoke with curator Hosh to find out more about this topic.

Art on Trucks, with three editions under its belt, is a festival that takes place in Ibiza, an island that most people associate with parties and beaches. However Ibiza has a thousand faces, and today we present one of them.

Fun Fact

When Spain was more closed than a fist due to the dictatorship, Ibiza was an oasis for tourists and hippies. It was freedom and topless paradise.

We accompanied the artists from the 3rd edition of Art On Trucks on October 25th, 26th and 27th, a rather peculiar festival where graffiti writers and muralists paint on trucks.

“I make a selection of artists, but they, within certain parameters, have the last word” Hosh

But, why is it peculiar?

Well, for starters because all the artists who paint have to have roots in graffiti, but they have to explore the creative world beyond traditional lettering. That is, for a traditional writer the medium is familiar, but they experiment when it comes to painting it.
We talked to Hosh, the curator of the festival, to tell us how the idea came about and give us a review of these three years of the festival.

“The first Art On Trucks came about as a result of a conversation with Rubio Paints. They were interested in participating in some kind of an event related to graffiti or muralism. They talked to me because I already had experience and contacts as a result of curating the Medusa Festival.”

“Trucks fit the bill perfectly; a dynamic gallery which artists were signing up for and could be seen driving around the city. That is the most difficult part, because we have to negotiate with the owners and with the companies so that they give us the trucks.”

You can read more about this festival here.

They wanted to do something similar but more on a street level and with grassroots participation. I proposed that they bring artists with different pictorial languages, and I personally am interested in artists who come from graffiti. These artists have qualities that are essential for this type of project: they are fast, they know how to solve problems and they are loose. The event had to be something that could be done in a weekend, in the center of the city, and with maximum visibility. It was clear to me that I wanted artists from off the island. Given that I had already worked with the city council in the youth domain, I presented the project to them.
The question of the medium responded to the requirements and the possibilities. Trucks fit the bill perfectly; a dynamic gallery which artists were signing up for and could be seen driving around the city. That is the most difficult part, because we have to negotiate with the owners and with the companies so that they give us the trucks.
I make a selection of artists, but they, within certain parameters, have the last word.
The first year I got some ice cream trucks, which are still in circulation and stand out because there are not so many painted trucks.

In the end, with the help of the city council, Rubio Paints and Hosh, the project went ahead and is now in its 3rd edition.

For this last edition we decided to broadcast the documentary, “Las paredes hablan,” the posthumous work by director Carlos Saura, with the excuse that Suso33, Zeta, and Musa71 were there. The festival comes full circle with free graffiti, painted caps and bboying workshops given by the artists themselves. This year we also organized a concert with Hermano L, an epic hip hop MC from the 90’s, who is still active.

This year’s line-up featured: Suso33, Zeta1970, Deih, Musa71, Move, Harrybones, Aaronetti, Mondo Biq y Sune.

“A whole weekend enjoying music and graffiti outdoors with epic Spanish cultural figures. Regarding the musical performance, together with Wisdom Dubs, we managed to gather all the majos of Ibiza in a memorable dance. What a night!!!!” Hermano L

Suso33

Zeta1980

“I had been away from this kind of event for a while, and Art on Trucks made me reconnect with my teenage self. Nothing compares to reconnecting with lifelong friends to share spray, walls, laughter and memories. When’s the next one?”

Deih

Musa71

Move

Harrybones

“It is a very interesting initiative for the fact of the mix of styles and different generations where the spectator and the city are included, through various workshops, live music and above all the support. Who will not like to see a painted truck circulating? The most important thing for me has been the involvement of the organization and the relationship established between all parties so that spray paint continues to be present for those who have always been there and for those who are yet to come.”

Aaronetti

Mondo Biq

Sune

We bid farewell until next year with the words of Pinturas Rubio:

“On behalf of Rubio Paints, we would like to thank MTN for trusting us every year and for continuing to support the festival. And above all to the artists who are the soul of the event and who make each edition a new, fresh and very special experience.”