The PangeaSeed Foundation brought their Sea Walls: Murals for Oceans to the city bringing art and awareness of the marine ecosystem
For many years, graffiti was a synonym for vandalism. Many of us have woken up to an unwanted illegible tag on our front door. But since the rise of urban artists like Banksy and Shepard Fairey (creator of the iconic Obama “Hope” poster) in the past decade, graffiti expanded its horizons in a drastic way. The internet was the biggest catalyst for street art’s evolution, allowing creators from all over the world to compare techniques and share their experiences. As with tattoos, urban art went from a hobby to an actual profession (to the surprise of disappointed parents around the globe). With all this information traveling across the web, it was a matter of time for art and activism to meet again.
Artivism is a term coined by the PangeaSeed Foundation, to describe their inspiring project Sea Walls: Murals for Oceans, a successful attempt to bring art and awareness to coastal communities. It began in 2014 and is an initiative to educate people about their local marine ecosystem and the importance of preservation. Each mural addresses, in its own way, a different issue that puts marine life at risk, from coral bleaching to plastic pollution. And it doesn’t stop there. Sea Walls offers workshops for children, internships, informative talks and most of all, the creation of new landmarks for people to remember we all belong to something worth protecting: life.
After two fruitful activations in Isla Mujeres (2014) and Cozumel (2015), Murals for Oceans is back in perfect time to encounter Cancun’s street art revival. 2016 has been a great year for Cancun. The city hosted events like the 1st Urban Art Fest (a project by #Rutanader, a group of local entrepreneurs focusing on bringing Cancun’s downtown back to life) and the Meeting of Styles 2016 (created by an international network of artists, a huge event on global graffiti culture).
Sea Walls was held between November 4 and 13 in different locations around Cancun. The first installation was at Avenida Bonampak & Chichen Itzá by Mexican artist Minoz.
For further information, visit www.pangeaseed.foundation/sea-walls/ or Facebook/Sea Walls Murals for Oceans.
