Those Grey Areas

FEATURE:
THOSE GREY AREAS

IN BARCELONA, AS IN MAJORITY OF CITIES, it is considered misconduct to do any kind of painting, marking or writing, with any type of material, on any urban surface, including transportation and trees. Persons caught attempting the misconduct are sanction to certain fines, their materials confiscated and their unsanctioned markings, cleaned or repaired at the expense of the violator.

There are possibilities, however, of creating sanctioned urban art in Barcelona. Artistic murals for example, are said to be permissible with proper municipal authorization. But who decides what is and isn't artistic? And with what criteria?

A new documentary Las Calles Hablan (The Streets Speak) shines a street lamp on the grey areas of Barcelona street art. Often bulked together with vandalism and territorial graffiti, the movement has for decades now been restricted from fully thriving. The issue lies mainly in determining whether a particular artwork or graphic is in fact artful, relevant and enriching to contemporary culture, or whether it degrades and devalues its environment.

A screening of the film, followed by a forum, was organized by Le Méridien Barcelona, to gather growing perspectives on the subculture. An online petition, as well, has been put into motion, requesting the government to dialogue with Barcelona's urban art community. Do you agree that street art is a cultural asset for the city? What, in your opinion, does and doesn't constitute street art? If street art becomes sanctioned by the government, would it still in fact be the subversive, subcultural art form that provokes public thought?

See the film on vimeo.com and the streets themselves with Le Méridien Barcelona Street Art Map

Las Calles Hablan by Onist Films, presented by Le Méridien Barcelona on July 3, 2013.