Intervention in the center of Madrid's Plaza Mayor on the occasion of its 400th anniversary. It consists of a large natural grass circle which tries to remember the Madrid of the 20s, at which time the Plaza Mayor was occupied by a park.
The work, by the artist SpY, seeks to decontextualize and revitalize the square and get the user to participate and enjoy this temporary transformation of one of the most important and representative places in Madrid such as the Plaza Mayor. The work consists of a circle of grass 70 meters in diameter located in the center of the square.
 

Description of project by SpY

The main idea of this Project is as simple as recognizable. It consists of a 70 meter natural grass circle (3500 square meters in total) located in the center of the Plaza Mayor (Madrid) commemorating its 4th centenary.

Given the simplicity of such Project, both locals and tourists were immediately surprised by the decontextualisation of the Plaza and the invitation to new ways to feel pleasantly and comfortably embraced.

Over 100 thousand people enjoyed this artistic offer, along the 4 days that it lasted, that was also echoed by the most relevant National and International Media.

An artistic work offered to citizens and tourists of all ages that were allowed to take part of it in a playful and direct manner, thereby achieving the creation of a milestone, a memorable memory and a temporary transformation of this symbol of the Madrid’s culture, on its 400th centenary.

The revitalization of this public space pretends to involve pedestrians with their own city. This type of artistic work turns the table making the citizens turn into the artists and vice-versa; it also passes the floor to surprise, to encounter and invites to reflection. In other words, it openly shares the benefit of art with the whole public.

Other cities, such as Paris, New York and Moscow, have already shown their interest for this artwork in order for their respective citizens to feel the experience.

 

 

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Year
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2017
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Location
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Plaza Mayor, Madrid, Spain
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Photography
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SpY is an urban artist whose first endeavors date back to the mid-eighties. Shortly after, already a national reference as a graffiti artist, he started to explore other forms of artistic communication in the street. His work involves the appropiation urban elements through transformation or replication, commentary on urban reality, and the interference in its communicative codes.

The bulk of his production stems from the observation of the city and an appreciation of its components, not as inert elements but as a palette of materials overflowing with possibilities. His ludic spirit, careful attention to the context of each piece, and a not invasive, constructive attitude, unmistakably characterize his interventions.

SpY's pieces want to be a parenthesis in the automated inertia of the urban dweller. They are pinches of intention, hidden in a corner for whoever wants to let himself be surprised. Filled with equal parts of irony and positive humor, they appear to raise a smile, incite reflection, and to favor an enlightened conscience.
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Published on: March 22, 2018
Cite: "CESPED in Plaza Mayor by SpY" METALOCUS. Accessed
<http://www.metalocus.es/en/news/cesped-plaza-mayor-spy> ISSN 1139-6415
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