JK: Did graffitimundo sponsor it or help to promote? MF: We helped with the promotion and the callout for artists. The event in 2010 was in Puerto Madero, which is a neighborhood without a lot of street art, so Arte BA got permission to set up temporary walls all around a construction site in the neighborhood. They brought in some well-established urban artists and made about three quarters of the walls open call to anybody wanting to come and participate. It was great because you had all these people out creating together, meeting one another, and younger artists getting to see these more developed artists. JK: Looking ahead, where do you see the street art culture going? In a short amount of time, street art has gone from being out of the mainstream to somewhat of a tourist attraction. Do you feel like it’s going to grow on a lot of different levels or do you really see it going in one direction or the other? MF: There’s been a lot of growth on a local level in terms of recognition within Argentina, which is something that we are focusing more now as well. We’re doing free tours for Argentines because we realize a paid tour is going to naturally appeal more to people visiting. We’re really working on developing more local interest, because for the artists it’s great to have someone visiting buy their work and share that outside of Argentina, but it’s just as important (if not more important) to develop interest on a local level so Argentines feel proud of what’s going on here and want to be a part of it. JK: Complete our phrase, Art Is… MF: Art is finding the freedom to express yourself without worrying about how it’s going to be received by anybody else. And that’s what I see a lot of here; people creating just to create, not to please anybody else. They’ve been doing it in public spaces for years with their own investment of time and money just because it’s something they really love to do, and they’re not letting it be dictated by a gallery. So with that sort of foundation, it changes everything. I think it’s exciting for anybody to have that opportunity to create, unrestricted by expectations or by anyone else. Jordan Kifer is a 21-year old student at the University of Michigan. Shaping her world view is the belief that everyone is an artist and has something beautiful to share. Visit her blog at http://lavidaesuncarnaval.tumblr.com/
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