MIGRATION JAM

On Sunday 23 October, the Parc de les Tres Xemeneies in Paral·lel (Barcelona) hosted the Wallspot JAM on migration ‘ALL BORDERS ARE IN YOUR HEAD’. On this occasion, it was considered important to join the debate on racism, stereotypes and the conceptual limits that we have internalised as a society, as well as to talk about migratory movements and the resulting humanitarian crises.

This JAM has been agreed with the collective Dos Latinas, a platform and foundation that works with artists, artisans and creatives to generate a diverse community using art as a tool for the struggle and defence of Human Rights. Thus, Dos Latinas has been key in this process to provide the JAM with a vindictive and critical content against social prejudices that often violate fundamental human rights such as religious freedom, sexual identity, gender equality or cultural diversity, while at the same time promoting diversity focused on Latin American dynamics.

In this event, we had Javirroyo and Killa.ek as guest artists. They have selected the rest of the participating artists: Lía Sabela, Silvia Ospina, Art3sano, Nino Werner, Mikhaela Martin, Luciana Luaces and Jaume Montserrat. All of them have highlighted diversity, the migrant experience, social prejudices, etc. on the walls of the park, incorporating an awareness-raising vision and inviting the public to reflect collectively through art.

Javirroyo made his debut as a mural artist offering us the cover of the JAM and leaving a record of the primary message that has marked him: ALL BORDERS ARE IN YOUR HEAD. The other guest artist, Killa.ek, tells us that when she thinks of migrations, migratory birds come to mind as they embark on long journeys across landscapes, hillsides, mountains, forests… in a natural and cyclical action. Just as human migrations should be; without borders. Luciana Luaces conveys the message that when people migrate, they do so with their roots. Next to her, Lía Sabela captures her mural work that speaks for itself when we are aware of the title “Embrace the differences! On the other side of the central walls, Nino Werner has entitled his work “Schwarze Pferde & Backersohn” in which he shows us a personal family history marked by the migration of his grandfather. “Not all that glitters is gold” is the mural created by Art3sano, a declaration of intentions to the cry of “Fuck politics and fuck all borders”, a work marked by his own personal experience which, as he explains, “I know how difficult it is to emigrate illegally, to be far from one’s family and start from scratch in another country with another culture”. The artist Jaume Montserrat has created a mural in which “the reference image is an old family portrait found in my grandparents’ house, whose face I have covered with the path of a migratory bird. The anonymity of migration. The family. The colours of the past. Mikhaela Martin gives us a mural full of life that celebrates all its forms and colours. And finally, Silvia Ospina illustrates a world in which we can fit bricks.

In addition, during the day Dos Latinas offered a workshop on collage and migration led by Daniela Cuervo and Paula Linares and a stencil workshop facilitated by Laura Castillo. Both were open to the general public. Slogans such as “Todos los nortes tienen sur”, “Si es personal, es político” and “Nunca hemos sido invisibles” were painted on the walls of the Parc de les Tres Xemeneies.

Thanks to Montana Colors for providing the artists’ materials.