LOCAL HEROES
Boa Mistura A street art group from Madrid is changing the world through art. We met one of the members of Boa Mistura to discover how they’re doing just that. Words by MARTA AGUILAR CEREZO Picture courtesy of BOA MISTURA
One day in Madrid as the sun began to disappear, the
Most importantly, they are able to touch people’s
lights in each window slowly started to turn off and
souls. “Doctors heal your heart, mechanics fix cars,
streets started to empty out, a van burst into the city.
and artists touch your hearts,” Ruben (“RDick”) said
Five young men jumped out, quick and precise, and
when he spoke at TEDxMadrid. Boa Mistura doesn’t
they left a message crossroad by crossroad.
just speak for Madrid anymore, but for the whole
The next morning the city woke up to the scene of a
wide world.
restless hunt for poetry on the sidewalks of Madrid
We learned something instantly when we went to meet
before it all faded away. “A demonstration of love from
Boa Mistura at their dazzling studio in the heart of
artists and poets, for our beloved Madrid,” it read.
Madrid. Something great can be born only by putting
We knew it was only a temporary thing, which made
passion and hard work into it.
it finding every single verse in each corner of the city
Pablo (“Arkoh”) explains: “At first only we painted
even more special. Somehow this poetry was made for
graffiti, but we started to mix and blend not only on the
us as citizens, and we each felt like a part of that poem
wall, but with each others knowledge. A civil engineer,
spread all over town.
an architect, a graphic designer and a publicist came together to make a single move.” Diversity and a clear
Ten hands, five minds, and a little paint
vision opened their mind to new ways of working.
They hang from the ceilings some meters above the
Boa Mistura was already painting in places like Berlin
ground or run barefoot with children in the Brazilian
and Norway when they changed their path drastically
slums. They are acrobats, activists and artists, but
by going to South Africa after being invited by an urban
especially a group of friends from Madrid: Juan
art gallery. Their first project in a township changed
“Derko” Jaume, Pablo “Arkoh” Ferreiro, Javier “Pahg”
their lives, along with their way of working. After South
Serrano, Rubén “RDick” Martín, and Pablo “Purone”
Africa, Boa Mistura traveled to São Paulo and Panamá,
Puron. Collectively, they are Boa Mistura.
leaving huge footprints behind. The project Crossroads
Proud of their origins in Alameda de Osuna, their
was born.
neighborhood on the outskirts of Madrid, this group
The street is Boa Mistura’s common language,
has been making a career from their passions since
their roots. Graffiti taught them to lose the fear of
2001. Ten hands and five minds dedicated to a single
breaking rules. “You don’t establish limits yourself,”
idea can transform a façade, a building or a whole
says Arkoh, whom we talked to about fear, change,
street—with the help of a little paint.
positivity and more.
MADRID
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