Artistic initiative that seeks to reactivate tourism as an alternative in the municipalities of Icalupe and Somoto
Tourism is one of the most dynamic sectors in Nicaragua, since it represents 9% of GDP and 8% of total employment in the country. The Department of Madriz has enormous potential due to its geological and environmental resources, but these have not yet had enough impact on employment opportunities for the population.
Three interventions for three identities
The intervention in the community of Icalupe, where a tradition of muralism already existed, has consisted of an egg tempering workshop, a simple and sustainable technique to permanently fix the pigments. “We saw that there was no sense in our work in Icalupe, we saw it as a UFO, something alien that would distort the life of a community,” explains Pablo García Mena, one of the members of Boa Mistura.
In Somoto, capital of the department, Boa Mistura has taken the pavement as a canvas to make a great mural, with water as the protagonist. “It made sense because water is the livelihood of local agricultural communities and the main milestone of the department, with the course of the Coco River,” says Pablo.
Within the framework of the same project, but in the municipality of Las Sabanas, a group of 5 Nicaraguan artists has made murals that have completely covered six houses in the center of the town. To do this, they have taken as reference the legends and most significant agricultural products of the area, which has managed to completely transform the urban landscape of this small town.
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Art as a tool for change
“We tried to involve the communities themselves to reinforce the local identity and turn public spaces into a meeting point, “says Pablo. The use of art and color in the vicinity of the Coco River Canyon, will contribute not only to enhance the cultural and environmental heritage of the enclave, but also to expand the employment opportunities of the inhabitants of Madriz, to be more resilient in the face of climate
This project has been possible thanks to the financing of the Swiss Cooperation (COSUDE) and the support of the Accenture Foundation and its workers, within the framework of the Call for Payroll Roundup, and this will have an impact on 250 families.
CAMINOS DE AGUA from boamistura on Vimeo.
