Persianes Lliures
Barcelona
8.4.2010
In the vibrant world of urban art, Rebobinart stands out as a beacon of creativity and cultural management. Our project ‘Persianes Lliures’ is a testament to our dedication to creating murals and artistic spaces that transform the urban landscape and foster urban culture.
‘Persianes Lliures’ is more than a street art project; it is an initiative that brings together artists, communities, and public entities in a joint effort to revitalize and beautify our cities. Through the management of artistic projects, Rebobinart has succeeded in turning shop shutters, often seen as blank canvases for vandalism, into stunning urban murals that capture the essence of local culture.
Each mural is an art exhibition in itself, a unique piece that reflects the artist’s vision and the community’s identity. These murals not only attract attention but also generate interest and desire in the audience, persuading them to engage more with local art and culture.
But ‘Persianes Lliures’ is not just about painting murals. It is a cultural management project that seeks to promote urban art as a legitimate and valuable form of artistic expression. Through workshops, exhibitions, and events, Rebobinart is changing the perception of street art and fostering greater appreciation for the artists and their work.
At Rebobinart, we believe that art has the power to transform spaces, people, and communities. Through ‘Persianes Lliures’, we are demonstrating that urban art can be a powerful tool for social and cultural change. We invite everyone to join us on this exciting journey of creativity and transformation. Because at Rebobinart, art is not just a form of expression, it’s a way of life.
In the video, a report on the launch of Persianes Lliures in Guinardó: shopkeepers hand over their shutter, artists paint it for free. Shopkeepers speak —«they take a problem off your hands»— along with graffiti artists, who see a legal outlet after the civility by-law. So far, 17 shutters handed over.
Video transcript (translated from Catalan)2 min 4 s
An innovative initiative has been launched in the Guinardó neighbourhood: the Persianes Lliures project. Shopkeepers offer up their shop shutters and urban artists paint them free of charge. The aim is to give graffiti artists spaces where they can express themselves freely, and to give shopkeepers the chance to personalise their premises and bring more colour to their businesses.
«We try to make it even on both sides: anyone can paint what they want —artists, people who have painted graffiti, anyone at all— and shopkeepers give up their shutter free of charge.»
Many shutters in Guinardó look worn and suffer from tags and scrawls like these. Shopkeepers say they are happy with the initiative because it lets them keep the shutters in good condition at no cost.
«When they told me about it I said: good idea, because the shutter is a sorry sight as it is.» «We see a lot of old shutters. As owners we already have plenty of problems and headaches keeping everything in order; look, they take a problem off your hands, they decorate the street, they decorate your shutter. I think it is a very positive initiative.» «Here in the neighbourhood the shutters always end up covered in lettering, and these people turned up with this initiative and it seemed very good to me.»
For graffiti artists the initiative is a way to practise their art legally, after the civility by-law banned graffiti in public spaces.
«Before, you either went off to the surrounding towns, to dry riverbeds, where there are nice quiet walls —you bother nobody, but nobody sees them either. So it isn't the same: painting in the street, people see you, they say things to you.»
So far 17 shopkeepers in Guinardó have handed over their shutters, and the promoters aim to extend the project across the city. To do so they have launched the Persianes Lliures website, where shopkeepers and graffiti artists can sign up.
Video transcript, edited for reading: repetitions and verbal fillers have been removed, the text has been punctuated and speakers are identified.
In the video, a second, shorter piece on Persianes Lliures in Guinardó: the problem of tagging, the exchange of favours between shopkeepers and graffiti artists, and the 17 shutters handed over, which change colour every month.
Video transcript (translated from Catalan)1 min 23 s
It is every shopkeeper's nightmare: many shutters in the Guinardó neighbourhood are covered in tags like these. To put a stop to it, an initiative has emerged based on an exchange of favours between shopkeepers and graffiti artists.
«We try to make it even on both sides: anyone can paint what they want —artists, people who have painted graffiti, anyone at all— and shopkeepers give up their shutter free of charge.»
The point is to keep the shutters in good condition. «We see all these old shutters. As owners we already have plenty of problems and headaches keeping everything in order; look, they take a problem off your hands, they decorate the street, they decorate your shutter. I think it is a very positive initiative.»
The graffiti artists are not paid, and that is why they can paint whatever they like. So far 17 shutters have been handed over, and they change colour every month.
After the civility by-law banned graffiti in public spaces, Persianes Lliures is one answer. «Before, you either went off to the surrounding towns, to dry riverbeds, where there are nice quiet walls —you bother nobody, but nobody sees them either. So it isn't the same: painting in the street, people see you…»
Video transcript, edited for reading: repetitions and verbal fillers have been removed, the text has been punctuated and speakers are identified.
