MTN Virtual Residency by Montana Colors SL – 1st Edition

MTN, the original brand of spray paint from Barcelona, is pleased to present the first edition of their virtual artist residency 2020 – MTN Virtual Residency by Montana Colors SL.

MTN continues their work of supporting cultural creators, many of whom are affected by the current precarious circumstances. Because of this, we are promoting our first virtual residence – MTN Virtual Residency by Montana Colors SL - a project that aims to delve into the artistic creation processes, which will be focused on the so-called “new normality” on this first edition.

We are finally beginning to see the light after a long season of confinement. The pandemic brought the world to a stop and kept us locked in for long days, waiting for the moment to be able to go outside. In this period, we have been able to observe different phenomena, such as the animal revolution or virtual addiction. The flora and fauna seem to have taken advantage and have expanded and conquered new territories. We find wild boars and foxes walking the streets of large cities, dolphins appearing in the vicinity of the Mediterranean coast and the flora expanding wildly and erratically throughout the urban corners of our cities. Our cellphones are on overdrive as we take refuge in our avatars and set records for the number of video calls. Screens and more screens, from the computer to the phone and back again.

Now the fog begins to clear but we still don't know what this "new normal" holds for us.

Will we become more socially conscious?

Will we abandon that intense virtual life or instead, will we immerse ourselves in it more than ever?

Will we learn to respect the animals around us more?

Will we get used to the curtailment of freedoms to which we have been/are subjected to?

Will we lose respect for COVID-19?

Last Monday, July 13, we closed the call for the MTN Virtual Residency with 138 project proposals, with participants from 43 different countries: Albania, Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Croatia, Ecuador, Egypt, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Holland, Honduras, Hungary, India, Iraq, Italy, Mexico, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Russia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela. Under the theme of ‘The New Normal,” there were proposals from all categories, from muralism and painting, to drawing and digital expression.

The panel of judges, composed of Joan Tarragó (artist), Btoy (artist), Inocuo (artist) and the Montana Colors comittee selected 2 projects and we are happy to announce that the first two resident artists of the MTN Virtual Residency are EVER and MOTOMICHI NAKAMURA.

You can check below the legal terms of the first edition: