City of Colour

About the practice

Vigo City Council and, specifically, the city's Historical Heritage Service, develop the Vigo, City of Colour project, a plural and revolutionary project that seeks to eradicate ugliness and turn it into art, managing complementary cultural activities and performances, turning the citizen participation in a pillar of aesthetic change in the city.

Story behind

The city of Vigo received during the 60s and 70s a flood of new population, as in many cities in Europe. This was reflected in the architectural growth of the city. A rapid and disorderly growth that gave rise to many empty spaces and huge walls in the buildings. In this way, it was decided to combine the beautification of the city with the promotion of art and thus "Vigo: city of color" was born. Nowadays it is a great international reference (8 years).

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About the institution

The Museum of Contemporary Art of Vigo is a contemporary art museum inaugurated on November 13, 2002 in the city of Vigo, Galicia, Spain. The museum occupies a panoptic building restored in 1995, located in the heart of the city and which was previously used as a Palace of Justice and a prison.

Context

Vigo, City of Colour is the public art festival that has been developing and transforming the city of Vigo since 2015. It currently has presentations by young and established artists, especially local ones, but opening each year to international collaboration. The event's maxim is to turn the city into a museum of different artistic registers in the open air. It is a revolutionary project to eradicate ugliness and turn it into art, managing complementary cultural activities and performances, turning citizen participation into a pillar of aesthetic change in the city.

“It is such a plural and diverse program that generates different human relationships and as the program is made up of many other projects, the number of people reached by this initiative is greatly expanded.”

Location

Vigo, Galicia (Spain)

Success factors

The institution is very proud of the continuous growth of the project since it was created and of how more and more sectors of society have become involved in its development. In addition to the fact of being a project of reference and recognition at an international level.

Target audience

This project is created for citizens but, in addition, as every year the project is renewed by the appearance of new ideas, within "Vigo, city of color" there is a specific training program for children.

Sustainability

The project is socially, economically and environmentally sustainable. In fact, the materials used are sustainable. On the other hand, it is a project that was born by and for society, because it structures, transforms, changes, because it is democratic, it is in the public space... It is also sustainable at an economic level since it attracts a lot of tourism, gives life to the city ​​during its development…; but, in addition, the important thing is not to measure everything in economic terms, but rather that the sustainability of this project goes far beyond economics: it is to turn your city into a reference in the world. This is priceless. The result obtained from the investment is much greater: it far exceeds the economic cost.

Digital tools

These are the digital and technological tools they used: Website: , Technological map where the murals and dividing walls are located with a brief description, Social Media: Facebook, Instagram, Video editing programs, the App of the City Council of Vigo, where the information with the routes has been dumped and the video-mapping technology.

Funding

The financing is within the budget of the Ministry. They started with more than €150,000 and now €500,000. Between 15-20 dividing walls are humanised, workshops, mural battles, complementary training activities, various artistic activities, etc. are held. In addition to the investment of preparing the spaces, the artists and the people involved in the development of the project are fairly paid.

Plans

The practice is original and unique because it is a transformative and multidisciplinary project that takes place throughout the year. It goes far beyond painting party walls: it is a cultural structure.

It is a transversal project that touches different departments and this in turn generates new connections and interesting synergies. Collaboration with other departments as well: urban planning, culture, roads and works…

Organization/ Institution
Vigo City Council, Department of Heritage
Good practice link
https://ciudaddecolor.vigo.org/
Address
Vigo, Galicia (Spain)
Contact person on good practice
Carmela Silva Rego, First deputy mayor of the Council of Vigo; Councillor for Historical Heritage of the Pontevedra Provincial Council. Responsible for the “Vigo: City of colour” project.
Contact person on Vigo City Council
Marta Riobo, marta.riobo@vigo.org