:: Growing the prestige of urban artists and wins a spot Bs As:: 
Street art By Celina Chatruc THE NATION "Your trash is my treasure, "reads the consortium bag. The drawing, done with stencils, it seems the perfect synthesis. Just as you see, dirty and peeling, Buenos Aires these walls are home to one of the street art movement most active in Latin America.
days ago, a Brazilian nicknamed Flip took the scale of a cruise off the boat and painting in Buenos Aires, of all American and European artists like him come to turn gray walls in an outdoor museum. Without expecting anything in return, work together with their local counterparts, who travel each year to showcase their work in galleries and festivals abroad.
Aware of their power of seduction, the capital of Argentina is tweaked makeup for the photo while urban art parade down the red carpet in Hollywood: Banksy, the most famous street performer in the world, arrived on Sunday Oscars past (see box), six months after the graffiti had its first biennial Graffiti Fine Art in San Pablo.
In this scenario, Buenos Aires is unwilling to resign themselves to the background. So do not hesitate to give free rein to Sigismond de Vajay, curator Of Bridges & Borders in the Proa Foundation, to Sabina Lang and Daniel Baumann intervened the bridge between the Faculty of Law at the UBA with the National Museum of Fine Arts. The work was presented last week, a month before the Jonone Parisian graffiti paint live during the "sleepless night", organized together with the French government, the mythical Lanin street in Barracks.
"The street art was an important contribution to the city because it gave a twist to the classic graffiti hip hop derivative; expanded its limits," said Mary Marino, responsible for having transformed color venecitas these blocks are now magnet for tourism. When he began working there a decade ago, the city was in chaos. One morning dawned with the Cabildo, the Metropolitan Cathedral and the Plaza de Mayo spray painted "with them all." And then they came
. "For those who were graffiti from 15 years, was the dream of the boy. We said, let's take the public space. Make some protest was more of the same. So good vibes go out to shoot people, with flat colors and cheerful. "He who remembers those days with a smile is Tec (see sidebar), a member of the group phase, one of the pioneers of the local boom. Phase magazine called who published ten years ago Defi, PMP and Martin Tibabuzo in the Faculty of Design of the UBA. With Tec formed a multidisciplinary team that includes animation, electronic music and even the art direction of I, a love story, the one-man Diego Reinhold that can be seen these days in the Paseo La Plaza. Since 2005 adopted Berlin as a second home and travel the world exhibiting his works.
Tec Except and friends, others present at this remote warehouse of the mouth come from other countries: the artist who works in the corner, the blonde who looks forward to interview, the couple who arrived minutes later to meet them. Because the reputation of Buenos Aires is a global urban artists, as evidenced by the notes made by the BBC, The Washington Post, The New York Times and The Independent, among other major media. "Where some call the graffiti art, not vandalism," was the title of an article by ABCNEWS in highlighting the tolerance of the Buenos Aires authorities (see box).
"I know no other city in the world with this 'gray area' in legal terms. The artists know where to paint and where not, choose places abandoned the facades of their homes or ask permission. And the response from people is very positive, "said Melissa Foss before starting his usual tour of College, and Villa Crespo Palermo to guide Graffitimundo (www.graffitimundo.com), a project to disseminate the local street art.
Melissa arrived from London a year and a half, but seems to know these streets better than any of Buenos Aires. At least the stories hidden among the multiple layers of paint. "With this release, the city is attracting many international artists - says, pointing to the face of a lady painted stencil. This drawing was made by a Peruvian. A portrait of his girlfriend's grandmother in Argentina, Alzheimer's. He wants the city to remember it when she can not remember the city. "
Even the creators of Graffitimundo, Marina Charles and Jo Sharff, are foreigners. Of British origin, are promoting the native art in London, where last year's healed Buenos Aires shows Calling! Pure Evil in the gallery. In addition to organizing the tours and to represent some artists, now preparing a book and a documentary on the subject.
Maximiliano Ruiz, an Argentine who produces samples of street art in Europe ran the opposite way. While making a documentary about the influence of graffiti and hip hop classes in Buenos Aires, decided to publish a book. Graffiti Argentina (www.graffitiargentina.com) was published in 2008 by the prestigious British publisher Thames & Hudson, and presented in 2009 included samples of Argentine artists in galleries in Barcelona, \u200b\u200bLondon, Paris and Berlin.
Ruiz said the graffiti scene in Argentina is "one of the most original and vibrant in the world." "Argentina has gained international fame as a city very tolerant and even appreciative of urban art," says Ruiz from Barcelona, \u200b\u200bwhere he now lives. This acceptance occurs throughout Latin America, it is normal for urban artists around the world travel to cities Latinas with the sole purpose of painting without being considered criminals, as happens in countries developed. "
This panorama of the region will be reflected in his book New World, Latin American street art, the German publisher Gestalten published in April. Meanwhile, on this side of the Atlantic, Guido Indij preparing the launch of Buenos Aires Street Art the third book on urban art published its editorial, La Marca Editora. "Buenos Aires is the mecca of street art. Local artists have professionalized the influence of the European graffiti artists who visit us regularly, "says Indij, often exhibiting works of these artists in Case Gallery in San Telmo.
Two blocks away, a year ago, the new the Cultural Center of Spain in Buenos Aires was operated more than 20 artists from Latin America. One was Rodez, a Colombian who began painting in the street when he was over 40 years, encouraged by his two sons and Malegria Wanderer. "What I like to paint in Argentina is that they are many styles from around the world," notes Malegria, who arrived in Buenos Aires in 2005 to study at the Universidad del Cine in the street and found the perfect place to mix Languages: graffiti, video, illustration and writing. Among the foreigners
usually painted in Buenos Aires include Sego (Mexico), and Charquipunk Agotok (Chile), Other (Canada) and Grolou (France). Much earlier in the decade of 90, Os Gemeos and vitch arrived in Brazil, followed by the German Daimler and Escher. The seed was sown; Internet did the rest.
urban artists share their work on websites, blogs and social networks (such as Pum Pum, one of the few women in the local category, who can be found in www.pum-pum.com.ar or on Twitter @ _pumpum .) Far from those who paint and run off, the most professional even sign their work with an email account. The Golden Triangle did both. The group consists of Francisco and Pedro and Santiago Ferreyra Panichelli, who started making tags (signatures typical of hip hop) along the railroad tracks and win customers through today to self-promotion. For example, an Italian collector commissioned them to multiple jobs into question after visiting your blog (http://triangulo-dorado.blogspot.com), also called to intervene in the lobby of a building in Coleraine. "The job is not finished until it is closed on the internet and you have a refund," says Francis. Why so many people come out. "
who seems to come from outside, but from outer space, is Tester. With its blue shorts, yellow shirt, haircut ochentoso and large thick-rimmed glasses, reminiscent of some of the characters painted on the walls. Federico Minuchin integrates with the collective Run Do not Walk, one of those who started to paint it a decade and was among those responsible for the gallery Palermo Hollywood In Cambodia (www.hollywoodincambodia.com.ar), dedicated to urban art. There exposed to 16 this month, the Brazilian Carlos Dias.
"They called us five years ago the Post Bar owners to paint the front and ended up becoming friends," says GG, Buenos Aires Stencil, another partner. "They could not pay us, we decided to charge them with the two upstairs bedrooms to the gallery." And of course, painted the medians of the buildings that overlook the terrace. In that space with constantly changing images now speaks Jaz, artist and set designer who travels to Europe each year; there, according to him the urban art "fully institutionalized." "We did not expect this boom," Rodriguez says, nor seek much. Today is unstoppable. "
Nobody knows how far. For now, Tec, Defi, Pmp, Nasa, Chu and Pum Pum exhibited from the 24th of this month in Gachi Prieto Gallery and some of them will travel to Brazil in August, to participate in an international exhibition of street art at the Museum San Pablo Art. Meanwhile, the gallery Turbo (www.turbogaleria.com), created three years ago by the collective Doma, announced that next week will conclude with a "historical parade and absurd" the end of a cycle. The date is Saturday 12 to 17 in Costa Rica 5827.
"We leave the premises because rents go up, but not the end of space, but becomes nomadic. We will make action larger, more concrete," says Chu, Doma, in the house of La Boca where Tec Tester exhibited works made in December for four hands, the sample was called tecstar.
"The hallmark of urban art is collectivism," says Chu. It promotes teamwork and friendship, which is the nicest thing there is in life. "
Jaime Pitarch born in Barcelona in 1963. His work is austere, simple, review of common objects. His art is conceptual, not without irony, dull, not technological but rather look with a taste for the old and imperfect. 
