TENNIS COURT by Edjin
Barcelona
9.5.2017
At the Les Corts Skate Park, one of the walls had been used as an improvised frontenis court until it was decided to turn it into an official facility. The photo shows the result: two courts painted green with the regulation white line and, in the middle, Edjinn’s character, a player in a cap and glasses pointing at the ball and shouting «IN».
The design came out of a participatory process with the players who already used the wall, and the new courts opened with a public tournament. It is a commission from the Les Corts District, one of the murals for institutions where the artwork is also a piece of sports equipment.
In the video, the mural on the frontenis court at the Àurea Cuadrado gardens in Les Corts: the lines are now painted rather than chalked. «Murals usually have a decorative side, a campaigning side; this is the first mural that will actually have a use.» The artist prefers not to show his face.
Video transcript (translated from Catalan)2 min 12 s
The reportThe new mural clearly marks out the boundaries of the frontenis court, lines that until now users had to chalk in themselves.
The playersVery good, very well marked out. We liked it a lot, and the drawing is very funny. It really is perfect.
The reportThe initiative came from the association Rebobinart, which had already worked in other parts of the Àurea Cuadrado gardens and spotted the need. Unlike other murals in the park, this one has an obvious use.
RebobinartMurals usually have a decorative side, a message side, a campaigning side. But this is the first mural that will actually have a use: it is a fronton wall.
The reportThe Les Corts district was also involved in the mural. It was done with all the permits, but the artist prefers not to show his face because he does not always have the council's approval.
The artistWhat I wanted to do was integrate my drawing with the courts: so the drawing I was going to make worked together with the courts, and at the same time the drawing worked with the users.
The reportWith the mural, users say they have gained a great deal, but they think other improvements are still needed to the surface and the lighting.
Video transcript, edited for reading: repetitions and verbal fillers have been removed, the text has been punctuated and speakers are identified.
