CLIENT 007: IBOR. THE HISTORY OF MTN IN ZARAGOZA

Decoraciones IBOR, o Ibor Graffiti Shop, is one of MTN's most historic retail partners. In fact, it was the seventh customer to place its trust in our brand at a time when the graffiti market as we know it today did not even exist (1995). On the occasion of the launch of its new website, we wanted to take a look back at the history of this landmark store, which has recently been generating a great deal of buzz on social media...

The 007 in this story did not appear wearing a tuxedo or driving an Aston Martin. He appeared in a shop in Zaragoza's Arrabal district, written on a customer record after a first order that had to be paid for in advance.
IBOR Graffiti Shop had just started selling Montana and, without yet knowing how far that relationship would go, became the brand's customer number 7.
The context was very different from today. Online sales did not exist, finding specialized materials was not easy, and some writers from Zaragoza would organize trips to Barcelona with a very specific goal: returning with cans of Montana.

MTN: How did the relationship between IBOR and Montana begin?

Enrique Ibor: I was selling sprays from another brand when one day Well, a guy who had been a customer for years and had been coming to the shop with his parents since he was a child, came into the store.
He told me there was a brand called Montana and that some kids were getting together, travelling all the way to Barcelona and coming back with cans because they couldn't buy them here. He brought me a can and asked whether I could try to bring that brand to Zaragoza.
The phone number was printed on the can itself, so I contacted them directly. I placed a first order, which I had to pay for in advance.
Once I started selling Montana, more and more kids began coming to the shop, and spray sales kept growing. Later I spoke with Jordi, he came to visit the store, and that was when I officially took on the distribution.

What changed when those first Montana cans arrived?

The difference between selling Montana and the brand I had before was noticeable immediately. Automatically, many more cans started selling because Montana was already a brand directly associated with graffiti and spray paint.
The other sprays were not specifically designed for graffiti. They worked for painting and the kids used them because it was what they had available, but Montana was something else.

What was the Zaragoza graffiti scene like when you started selling Montana?

There were quite a few crews, and they were large. Well had a lot to do with that because he was able to bring people together. He united punks, metalheads, skinheads, and youngsters from different backgrounds to paint murals with spray paint. Some members of Violadores del Verso also came by.
They painted at Hierros Alfonso, in the chimney area when Antena Aragón was there, and at Zaragoza Hip Hop gatherings, where a lot of graffiti was being created.
The scene was more about crews, getting together and going out to paint. There wasn't the ease of access to materials that exists today, nor the huge variety of products available now. People used whatever they could find and, when you wanted something unavailable in Zaragoza, you had to travel to get it.

What role did IBOR play within that scene?

I believe IBOR was fundamental in Zaragoza because it became the meeting point for artists who were starting to paint with aerosol.
We were the official distributor in Zaragoza for Spain's leading graffiti brand. In fact, many people didn't even call it IBOR. They simply called it “Montana in Zaragoza.”

How has the Montana customer changed from those early years to today?

The customer has changed just as the brand has changed. The brand, like graffiti itself, has evolved.
At first, pieces were created with more basic colors and were less elaborate. Over time, people improved, started producing more realistic work, projects with greater detail, and pieces featuring many more colors.
The brand also launched new product ranges and expanded its catalogue. The customer evolved alongside graffiti culture, art, and the spray can itself.
Before, people worked with whatever was available. Later, as artists learned and created more complex pieces, they began demanding products that were easier to control and allowed more precise work.
It wasn't only about having more colors. Different pressure systems, formats, and products designed for specific techniques began to appear. To create details or realism, you needed a can that allowed much more control over the paint.
The evolution of the products has gone hand in hand with the evolution of the artists. The more painting techniques advanced, the more needs emerged, and the more variety the brand had to offer.

What product do you remember as a turning point?

In the beginning, among the low-pressure products, there was Classic, the first one. It was a standard spray can and people did practically everything with it.
Later, the market started demanding a spray that was easier to use and control, allowing for more detail, realism, and sophisticated work.
Then Alien appeared, and it was a major turning point. It was a very good paint, had a broad color range, and customers loved it. Being a low-pressure can, it allowed artists to produce much more detailed work with a far greater degree of control.
Later came the MTN 94. At first, Alien coexisted with MTN 94, but eventually it was replaced by it. Alien was sold in a smaller can, whereas MTN 94 arrived in a 400 ml format.
Hardcore, however, has always been Montana's flagship product. New ranges have come along and painting styles have changed significantly, but Hardcore has always remained one of the brand's benchmark products.

If you had to choose one anecdote that summarizes your relationship with Montana, what would it be?

I would go back to the beginning and remember how the relationship started thanks to the graffiti writer Well, may he rest in peace.
Well was the person who alerted us that the brand existed, that it was being sold, and that young writers were looking for it. Thanks to that tip, we were able to contact Montana and bring it to Zaragoza. If it hadn't been for him, we probably never would have done it.
He lived right next to the store and was deeply connected to everything happening in the scene. Just a couple of years later, he died in a traffic accident, and for that reason his memory is forever linked to the origins of our relationship with Montana.

Client 007 Is Still Active

Today, the relationship between IBOR and Montana continues. In recent years, IBOR Graffiti Shop has also moved its catalogue into the digital environment, where it continues to offer a wide selection of Montana Colors sprays.
The way people buy has changed greatly since those trips writers made to Barcelona, but the origin remains intact: one person who listened to their community and a customer number that is hard to forget.
Decades later, "Montana in Zaragoza" is still going strong.