What does it mean "growing up" to you?
The creative process behind an artwork
We have worked on an urban art project with augmented reality as part of our art classes, during the last months, but it will remain in our hearts all our lives long.
We started with long theoretical classes, which were nevertheless not boring at all; there we started drawing the music: we translated on paper the feelings inspired by a melody, in order to better focus and stimulate our creativity. We started every class the same way, and later we debated deeply about what we wanted to represent in our mural.
After careful consideration, we identified our social message aiming at leave a lasting mark in our school and instil confidence in those who join it.
Painting our mural together
After producing several sketches, we drew inspiration from nature and, by designing various leaves from the garden, created stencils to incorporate them into the mural; finally, Sofía (Art SyamHope) added the finishing touches, thus completing the final design. At last, after several classes spent reflecting and developing the art project, we set to work on our mural.
First, we prepared the wall by sanding, cleaning, and smoothing it as thoroughly as possible in order to achieve a much better result. Once the surface had been prepared, we began painting.
We began with a yellow background, that is, the entire surface of our external building target.
On the main façade, the one facing the street, we created a green shaded circle and, within it, we drew two hands—one larger and one smaller—to represent the people who come and go, passing through the centre and the neighbourhood.
On the left and right walls, we created trees to symbolise growth, incorporating the leaf stencils we had prepared in class. Finally, Sofía added the finishing touches.
To conclude, we first tidied up and cleaned everything, and then we sat down for a moment to share about what we experienced. As a final reflection on the day, we spoke again about our intention behind the mural and what we wished to represent through it.
Photographers: Yevhen Strakhov, Alexander García, Luis Rivera, Rafa González
Leaving a mark: for those who come and go, passing through the centre and the neighbourhood
We came to the conclusion that, beyond leaving our own mark and bidding a meaningful farewell to our school, we wanted to demonstrate how important teamwork and respect among classmates are, as they are ultimately the greatest treasure we take with us.
Durante questi lunghi quattro anni non ci sono state solo le lezioni di letteratura, storia o matematica, ma anche la famiglia che abbiamo creato tra compagni, il fatto di essere cresciuti insieme accettando i nostri pregi e difetti e avendo ogni giorno un sostegno incondizionato e una gioia nel venire a scuola.
In addition to our emotional growth, we also wish to address all the boys and girls who arrive at our school with fear, seeking in some way to show that at the Grupo Cántico school there should be no fear, but rather love, care, and great trust.
With this reflection, I conclude this brief summary of the beautiful project we have been fortunate enough to carry out thanks to our wonderful art teacher Manuel García, our organiser Sofía Cande (Art SyamHope), and the Xul Foundation.
None of this would have been possible without you all!
Urban art meets technology: AR
As a final note, you should know that this mural also hides a surprise: with the ArtiVive app, you can scan the mural, activating its augmented reality. If you are unable to visit in person to experience the AR, you can watch it in this video:
Where is the mural art?
I am really excited to share this project, especially after reading about Sonia's feelings during our creative process. Also, her comment about companion love got me emotional since it's one of the best memories and relationships remaining after ages!