Mural «The return of Quinquela Martin»

The mural «The return of Quinquela», was realized by the artist Alfredo Segatori on the street Pedro de Mendoza and San Antonio. It measures 2000 m2, is the largest in the world and is made with freehand spray. «I chose to pay homage to Quinquela Martín with a landscape that fuses four well-known works of his because he is a referent of the area and, in addition, I find interesting and colorful thematic. Then, with his own neighbors, he left the idea of including his portraits in the work.

Traditional route in the streets art

We started the day as a genuine porteño drinking coffee with two croissants. Meanwhile, we can browse the morning papers in some classic bar in Buenos Aires.
The tradition of the bars is so ingrained, that for some years, the historical ones are distinguished under the name of Notables Bars. In a corner a few blocks from our first destination is La Flor de Barracas. The cafetín was inaugurated in 1909 and was put into value in the year of its centenary, when the neighbors feared that it was demolished.
We walked to the passage Lanín, a small street in the neighborhood of Barracas. They are only two blocks where there are 35 houses operated with different colors, murals and covered with mosaics, work of Marino Santa Maria. This artist began by the facade of his studio in 1990 and so much liked the neighbors who asked him to replicate this work on their own facades.
In addition to the houses, today the art extends to the facade of a confectionery, the stonecutters and the light of the streets.

The colors of La Boca

In La Boca everything is art, painting and color. Benito Quinquela Martín is the maximum reference, but next to him many other artists transformed the neighborhood during years ’20.

Front of Catalinas shed

Theatrical company founded by a group of neighbors more than thirty years ago. The front of the «theater shed» is decorated with a mural by Omar Gasparini (calle Benito Pérez Galdós 96).

Scenery Mural

Neighbors recycled the veneers and wood of an old conventillo to highlight characters from the shore, such as the malevolent Genoese immigrant, sailors and volunteer firefighters. Next to them are porteños idols like Benito Quinquela Martín, Carlos Gardel, Diego Maradona and Juan de Dios Filiberto (Av. Almirante Brown 36).

Caminito

Since the painter Benito Quinquela Martín decided to transform this small cobblestone street into a walk for the neighbors, Caminito became one of the fundamental stages of La Boca. In its surroundings there are several murals: one dedicated to the volunteer firefighters, another where the classic carnival of carnival is seen and a homage to the Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo (Plazoleta Bomberos Voluntarios).

The Bombonera

Inside the stadium of Boca Juniors is exhibited a mural of Benito Quinquela Martín that recreates the moment in which the colors of the club were chosen. In the exterior there are friezes of the outstanding painters Rómulo Maccio and Pérez Celis (street Brandsen 805).

Lunch and murals of San Telmo

Between the streets of old colonial houses painted policies and artistic graffiti appear. It is a good time to stop at some still life, a brewery or a place of food to pass. When we are ready, it will be time to continue visiting murals.

Mural de tango

It was realized in 1993 as part of a project of the Secretary of Culture of the then Municipality of the city. In 2014 was restored to return to homage to the tango in its 26×9 meters (Av. Independencia and Av. Paseo Colón).

Bicycle riding

The Spaniard Ayrz began to intervene walls with aerosol in Barcelona being a boy. Today he also paints with a brush and has a distinctive style in his enormous and colorful productions (Av. Independencia and Chacabuco).

David

The eyes of the giant child generate tenderness. This mural was made by the Cuban Jorge Rodriguez-Gerada, who grew up in New York. It is part of the series of anonymous and hyperrealist portraits, which began in Barcelona in 2002 (Venezuela and Tacuarí streets).

Old ads for Polaris refrigerators

An immense mural of time that measures 4×8 meters and that was recently restored. A law keeps it in force as a work of art and not advertising; In fact, the telephone number and address of the premises no longer exist (Calle Perú and Avenida Belgrano).

City Museum Bar

We entered the bar (Calle Defensa 223) to appreciate the permanent exhibition on the filleting, art declared Cultural Heritage in 2006, that was born when the workers of the factories of cars spontaneously decorated pieces of the bodies. A few meters away, Farmacia La Estrella is the oldest in Buenos Aires and preserves period paintings (Defensa Street 201).

The Hunger Games

This mural, made by El Marian, makes its own interpretation of the bestseller that was also taken to the movies. A work visited by tourists from all over the world (Venezuela and Piedras streets).

Atahualpa Yupanqui

We are approaching Plaza Dorrego, but before, 100 meters we stop in a corner. In Balcarce and Av. San Juan, the quiet part of a house has the serious face of the famous singer Atahualpa Yupanqui. Opposite, in the courtyard of the school Guillermo Rawson, there is an enormous mural of the Colombian artists Seta Fuentes and Deen.

From Mafalda to Piazzolla

We walked through the city center and crossed paths with a lot of pieces of street art. Many are in solitary giving color to the block and to different corners of the city, as it happens with the subway.
A few steps from the Cathedral, on line A of the subway, we will find a ceramic mural dedicated to the famous girl Mafalda, Quino. On the other hand, in the tunnel that crosses the Av. 9 de Julio there is a tanguero mural realized by the sketcher Hermenegildo Sabat. The new H line also has many works, which makes it a true cultural walk.
We continue in the center to reach the corner of Av. De Mayo and Av. 9 de Julio. A huge mural reminds Astor Piazzolla, emblem of Argentine tango. It was painted by the renowned Alfredo Segatori, who honors the bandoneonist along with other porteño symbols such as the taxi, the Obelisk and a collective of line 60.
Also by the zone began an original initiative to add color to the center. This is Project Persiana, a group of graffiti artists, headed by Santiago Cavanagh. In agreement with the shops, they paint the blinds of certain streets during the Sundays. Some can be seen in Libertad Street between Bartolomé Miter and Av. Rivadavia or on Talcahuano from number 0 to 400. Each meeting has an inspirational theme such as the jungle, ocean or music. Let’s go find them together!

Tango and art in the Abasto

Pay attention because we just get off the subway and we have works to look at. On the walls of the platforms are raised Venetian murals by the artist Marino Santa Maria, the same as the Lanín street. Also a painting of Carlos Páez Vilaró, that honors to Carlos Gardel, icon of tango in Buenos Aires, next to other symbols of the city.
In this area of malevos, suburbs and tangos, we will continue to know who composed My beloved Buenos Aires. In the street Jean Jaurès to 700 is the House-Museum of Gardel and a walk of the filleting that is worth to visit. Also, on a gate, a portrait of the singer-songwriter and on the sidewalk in front, a mural called Woman in the Wind (Calle Anchorena 660).