b-inspired Artists
Recordar
A participative art project by Jorge Rodríguez-Gerada
Jorge Rodríguez-Gerada has created one of the largest public artworks in Spain, measuring more than 2,200 square meters. The participative and ephemeral artwork covered the Plaza Comercial located in the Born section of Barcelona on October 1st, 2016. It was created with the help of local residents and more than 500 volunteers, had the philanthropic support of the small business association Born Comerç and the production support of Subagora Agency.
“Recordar” (Remember) is an artwork that can be classified as an urban performance and was realized with the use of GPS technology provided by the company TopCon. The artwork was then filled in with the collaboration of volunteers using chalk spray paint. This ephemeral, non-toxic and washable paint was created by Montana Colors with a special formula that would not damage the pavement and came in recyclable cans.
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The name of the artwork refers, in an etymological sense, to the Latin term recordāri, composed by re (again) and cordis (heart). Memory is an ever present reality for Rodríguez-Gerada who is the child of Cuban dissidents who were forced to live in the United States, his grand parents having moved to Cuba after the Spanish Civil War
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“We as human beings do not look back often, many times we are not interested in knowing what happened to others, and this condemns us to continue to make the same mistakes.”
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“When you read about the treatment that the extreme right in France gave to the Spanish exiles during the Civil War, you realize that it is the same rhetoric that is being used in Europe about the Syrian refugees. People now talk in the same terms as if they are terrorists or bad people, that is why, more than ever, I want with this piece to try to recover the base meaning of the word, Recordar (Remember), so we pass al these memories again through our hearts”.
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Born in Cuba in 1966, raised in the US and currently a resident in Barcelona, Jorge Rodríguez-Gerada is a visual artist internationally known for his innovative artistic work and for his varied techniques. Rodríguez-Gerada creates large scale portraits in the public space, that incite a reaction on the part of the public. The dimension of the artwork is intrinsic to the importance of what is being said, from questioning complex social issues, such as identity, human rights or climate change. He has created his work in numerous locations including Amsterdam, New Zealand, London, Sao Paulo and Bahrain. He has exhibited in galleries such as Galería N2 (Barcelona) and Galerie MathGoth (Paris) and has been part of prestigious publications about urban art such as the TATE Gallery catalogue in London, Street Art. The Graffiti Revolution (Cedar Lewisohn, 2008) o Designing Obama (Scott Thomas, 2009).
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