Santa Coloma de Gramenet has opened the door of the first phase to convert the Besòs river into the largest open-air urban art museum space in the world, which is called BesArt. The River Museum, which is jointly promoted by the Santa Coloma de Gramenet City Council, the Mediterranean Street Art Association and the Royal Artistic Circle of Barcelona.
This transformative cultural project will allow artists to create and permanently exhibit their works in a metropolitan space within the reach of all audiences, in a green and blue natural environment.
The walls that delimit the flow of the river in the municipality of Santa Coloma, from the Santa Coloma Bridge to the Can Peixauet Bridge, will shortly host works by world-renowned artists on the left bank, while the right will be available to artists locals, schools and even families.
The first to start this museum was the artist Octavi Arrizabalaga known internationally as ARYZ. Born in Palo Alto California as a child, he moved to Cardedeu where he currently lives and works.
With his technique of painting with "telescopic sticks" from 2010 he began to receive wide international recognition by participating in projects in Japan, France, Finland or Madagascar. The artist from Cardedeu, has stated that "I am proud that they have counted on me for a project of these characteristics, affirming that the idea opens up artists from all over the world. In his 17x4 meter work, he symbolizes in the list of his latest works "the fight, the fight and in the confrontations that so much occur to society in these times, especially among the "ordinary" people who are the ones who should be least confronted". ARIZ affirms.
For her part, the mayoress of Santa Coloma de Gramanet, Nuria Parlon, has put the Besòs river as an example of "resilience" in the municipality, describing BestArt The River Museum as "an innovative and transformative experience in the metropolitan and Catalan sphere, which interacts with the natural environment and will give much satisfaction to the city.
