Pilarín Bayés dedicates a mural to the elderly people of de Can Ripoll

NN Wallery, a project carried out by Núñez and Navarro in collaboration with Norma Editorial, turn the walls of the works into spectacular murals created by different urban artists, these linked to the city of Barcelona, where they express with their art what the the city inspires it.

The reason for creating the walls in art galleries is to bring life to the streets of Barcelona and so that citizens can enjoy the streets with more colors and with stories that express what Barcelona is for different authors. Several artists have already participated in this project, such as Brosmind, Laia Lopez, Daniel Torres, Marina Capdevila, Óscar García, among others.

Many of the painted walls will be retained, and others will be temporary and demolished to become sustainable buildings. Joining this project is Pilarín Bayés, Catalan caricaturist, illustrator and puppeteer. She is known for her particular illustrations, with drawings full of details, making each story rich with elements, she uses bright and cheerful colors, bringing feelings of optimism to her work. His distinctive characters, with big eyes and wide smiles convey a vision of innocence. In their stories, we see different themes, such as scenes from everyday life, showing Catalan culture, popular festivals and local customs.

On the morning of July 23, Pilarín Bayés, has signed his last piece of urban art, he has turned a 60 meter wall of a lot under construction into an outdoor mural. A residence for the elderly will be built on this lot, so the artist wanted to represent different scenes of everyday life where the protagonists are grandparents and grandchildren, he explains all the moments of great importance that everyone can experience the grandchildren with their grandparents, we can find scenes of all the evolution of the children with their grandparents, emphasizing the importance that these are for the children.

The mural explains the relationship between grandchildren and grandparents, what is the main message you want to convey with this work?

What could be better than making this tribute to the grandparents and their relationship with the grandchildren, this figure of the grandfather, of the older figure with respect to the little boy, since the lot will become a nursing home, I saw fit to do like that

How important do you think the relationship between grandchildren and grandparents is in today's society?

Today it is of fundamental importance. Before, families were very large and all lived in the same house, but nowadays families are very small. The role of grandparents is very important, as many times parents cannot take care of children. For example, if the children do a play at school, the parents may not be able to attend, or to pick up the children at daycare, they may not be able to go, so there is this figure of the grandparents who may be older importance for a child.

Could you share any personal experience or anecdote with your own grandparents or grandchildren that may have influenced this work?

I studied the entire career of Fine Arts with a grandfather of mine, who had been exiled in Belgium during the civil war and told me that he always went to the city museum. He was a man of science, but he became fond of painting and since I was studying Fine Arts, we talked a lot about painting, we both had dinner alone in front of each other. For me it was very enriching that my grandfather explained to me how the museum went to understand the great Flemish painting. She taught me a lot about loving her.

How do you hope your work will impact the community?

Now the neighbors will have works, which bring a bit of noise. I hope it brings some joy. Transcendental and important art must be dramatic and must be conditioned to the human condition, but puppeteers are here to bring joy to the world and if we can bring it to the streets, all the better.

Little by little, street art is becoming a new artistic expression, do you think that this can contribute something to the history of art, do you think it is a good support for making artistic expressions?

It is a specialty. The people who do it are generally looking for a very own style, and I think it's a very beautiful way, since a very elitist art had been created, to be bought by people in the know. On the other hand, the murals are for the people on the street, to make a good impression. I have participated in the Penelles festival where there are many muralists, I understood that it is an interesting specialty, to make life in general more pleasant.

How do you think this NN Wallery project can impact society?

It probably won't change society, but I would like a reflection on the grandparents, say today I will see my grandson and I will do something new with them; and of course to say that today he will meet his grandfather and have his attention. The relationship between them will be seen.

How was your experience working for an art gallery?

I was working with Galeria el Carme in Vic, every two years I held an exhibition there, it was my mother gallery. I've been going there for twenty years, they were my discoverers in this area.