Erica Il Cane – Breakin’ the Wall

I love seeing large scale projects coming together, the bigger the cherry picker the better.  Just of ekosystem has been busy following progress at ‘Breakin’ the Wall’

All photos © Just & Words from breakin’ the Wall

This is the fourth stage of the project. The artists invited to participate in “Breakin’ the Wall” are prominent representatives of world urban art: Mudwig (Bristol), Dem (Milan), Fefe Telavera (San Paulo/Madrid), Vova Vorotniov (Kiev), Escif (Valencia), Erica Il Cane (Bologna), Jiem (Lille), SickBoy (London) and Zosen (Barcelona).

Their murals will reflect on the identity and existence of the post-1989 generation, as well as the celebrated anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Even though there was no concrete structure to pull down in Wrocław’s history, it is clear that there will be lots of walls to get rid of in the future. Just as the Berliners struggle with the demons of their history, the residents of Wrocław, marked with their own tempestuous past, will have to face problems to solve as well. World War Two and the post-war times had a powerful impact on the mentality of its citizens. What was – and still is – the city we live in? For young people, Wrocław is a blank sheet – they see the burden of its history as a challenge rather than a liability. If our life is conditioned by the past of the place we live in, then it’s the capital of Lower Silesia that appears to be a perfect place for such a confrontation.

“Breakin’ the Wall” is a voice of the generation of sensitive, tolerant people who are not afraid of change. To paraphrase Mahatma Gandhi, “you must be the change you wish to see”. We show, we bare our contemporary walls, not necessarily those made of bricks and concrete, because the ones in our heads are much worse. The efficiency of our efforts to pull them down will be proof of how cosmopolitan Wrocław is. Or – to go a step further – a true test of our European identity.

Curators: Joanna Stembalska and Sławek ZBK Czajkowski