“La plaza es nuestra” new mural by Escif in Barcelona, Spain

Escif is back with “La plaza es nuestra”, a representation of the spirit of a place in an attempt to transfer its historic memory, present and hopes of a town that, 40 years ago and under Franco’s regime, fought to regain ownership of their square.

Curated by Contorno Urbano and Kaligrafics, the new mural showcases one of the most important events in the history of Sant Feliu de Llobregat; a historical memory of a town that 40 years ago under Franco’s regime started a fight to have a worthy neighbourhood gain ownership of their square.

Escif, artist and activist who never gives any interviews, lived with high intensity this year-long participatory project. What initially was a proposal to create a mural turned into a work of art that gave life to a piece of Spain’s history.  As explained by the artist:

“In May 1977, the residents of the Sant Feliu neighbourhood called La Salud managed to halt the construction of a gas station. Walls say that it was during the night, while the city was still sleeping, when some brave women and men decided to push the concrete mixer into the hole where the foundations were going to be set. They covered the hole with soil and then they planted a tree. Legend has it that if a tree is planted on an occupied plot of land, nobody will ever be able to remove it. And that was exactly the genesis of that square, a square that still belongs to the neighbours, the residents of Sant Feliu. “(Escif)

That’s the legacy of a surprising mural that’s full of details and anecdotes, and that the neighbours have already taken hold of. “La plaza es mía” [The square is mine,] “Yo-Tu” [Me-You,] “Fue él” [It was him,] “DEP hormigonera” [RIP concrete mixer] (an ironic reminder of the time when the neighbours threw the concrete mixer into a hole, where it still remains buried,) “No callarem” [We won’t remain silent]… The wall tells, narrates, and remembers many lives and stories that go back to 40 years ago, many conversations in this square conquered by the neighbours, many yearnings and dreams, many fights that are yet to come.

This new work by Escif comes a few weeks after having painted a façade of the famous Palais de Tokyo (Paris), in memory of the events of May 1968, with sentences such as “Be young and remain silent.” In Sant Feliu nobody remained silent.

“La pared es nuestra” [The Wall is Ours] is a retaining wall that rescues the voices of those who are gone, that keeps the voice of those who remain, and that suggests the voice of those who are yet to come. An inclusive wall made by and for the neighbours. A wall that can be heard, that contains the sounds of the neighbourhood, of its history, and of its inhabitants. A wall that can be read, and that has as many readings as visitors who come to contemplate it.” – Escif.

Here are a few images of the mural courtesy of Contorno Urbano.