Laura Lara // Bitxo _ _ StreeT ArtisT _ _ Spain
“My art is for the people, not for myself. That’s why I am into Street Art” said Laura looking at me with her big, shiny eyes.
Laura’s art-projects are inspired by her beliefs about urban life and how people should live in this context.
One part of her ideas flows from her aspiration to see happy people in
the streets. For that reason, she is drawing funny monsters on the
walls. “They are my imaginary friends”, she says “ and I thought that
it would be nice to lend my friends to the people who are sad,
miserable and alone. So they can become happy!!!”.
This made perfect sense to me, since I got really happy when she gave me as a gift some sketches and stickers of her imaginary friends. So, I guess that other people could get happy, as
well. Don’t you think?
She is also very interested in the concept “Transit Spaces”. Abandoned
private spaces that should be open for use by people who need them, for
housing for example. But, also, abandoned urban spaces, like parks,
that should get a “private” character, in the sense of feeling this
place as home, so then people could have motivation of taking care of
these places and animating them.
This interest in “Transit
Spaces” stems from her belief that “Our body and our mind are
influenced by everything that surrounds us. So, ourself, actually, is
the result of the combination of these surroundings. It’s not “Me” and
“I” anymore, but what I am is “my surroundings””. So…what are you???…
One of her “Transit Spaces” creative art actions this year was in a squat in Spain. The squaters were kicked out after many years of residing there and the entrance of the building was sealed with a wall, so nobody could enter the buliding anymore. Not even the owners! Laura was moved and shocked by this wiriness, so she felt like spreading the message of “Open the Doors of the Not-in-Use Buildings” by acting in the way she knows better. By drawing the wall!
And guess what was the theme of her graffiti. A door, of course! She even attached a real turn on this imaginary door, so people can open it and get in again. Even the owners!
We don’t need the key, we will just break in!!!!
Another “Transit Space” project of her is called “Pantera Spaniola”. Inspired by the Guerilla Gardening concept and by the ritual of putting a flag in the places that are conquered, she came up with this just amazing idea of leaving in the city streets little bags with seeds of flowers inside. These bags are meant to be found by people and the seeds to be planted in chosen by them urban spaces. The grown flowers will have the role of the flag, which will identify each person’s own private urban space. In that sense, a public space gets the character of a compilation of many small private spaces, to which the "owners" are emotionally attached. These spaces become part of one’s home. So, open urban space gets the sense of home. A home that city people can love and care about.
This is what I call pure and original street art!!!
Feel it as your home!!!
Laura’s artwork references and part of her inspiration are the author of the book “Non- places ”, Marc Augè and the provocative artist Marina Abramovic.
If you want to find more information about this passionate young lady and her authentically artistic “soul”, check flickr.com/b_i_t_x_o and http://croquetacongelada.blogspot.com .
I am sure you ‘ll love her as much as I did!