The talented young visual artist Mabel Vicentef brought her palette to life on a large wall of the Konex Cultural Center. In the open air, the muralist created her work with 672 liters of paint specially donated by Pinturerías Alba. The mural covers a surface of 260 square meters and is located in an area that sees an average of 350,000 visitors per year.
“I like painting with purpose—making art so that it can simply be enjoyed by people,” says Mabel Vicentef, the gifted visual artist who loves traveling the world with her palette of colors and a profound message. This 36-year-old Argentine seizes every wall offered to her as a new window to convey her message of peace, harmony, and empathy for humanity—and she never wastes the opportunity. “Sometimes people assume that ordinary citizens, those navigating cities daily while absorbed in problems and chaos, lack the capacity to aesthetically appreciate a mural. That’s why it moved me deeply to discover that I could create art that truly reaches everyone, art that can brighten their day or even make them smile,” she adds.
Regarding the piece she painted at the Konex Cultural Center, she explains: “The initial idea or spark for the mural that came to mind was to paint a giant box, because every time I’ve had the chance to enjoy a show here at the Konex, it feels like a big space—or a ‘box’—where countless activities are happening at once,” Vicentef recalls. “As the creative process unfolded, sketch after sketch, the box turned into a set of suitcases. Each suitcase carries a specific meaning: some open, others close. It’s an idea that perfectly represents the stages that begin and end throughout our lives. The birds you see—almost all my works include landscapes and nature—express that wish or mental act of flying or traveling to other latitudes, or the ability to open or close those suitcases of memories.”
The mural, painted on a wall in the open courtyard of the Konex Cultural Center—also known as the “factory of cultural experiences” in the Abasto neighborhood—required 672 liters of paint donated by Pinturerías Alba. Against a pastel background, the artwork depicts a young woman sitting in a relaxed pose atop three stacked suitcases. At her feet, another suitcase lies open, its lid revealing the virtual-like image of a snow-capped mountain. Inside the base of that suitcase—where the bulk of luggage would be stored—stretches a green plain dotted with houses and a bird in flight.
A Donation Program Bringing Color to Buenos Aires
“I try, whenever possible, not to give my works a predetermined, closed meaning. I feel it’s essential that each viewer discovers the message that the artwork individually holds for them. The spectator always brings another interpretation, and fortunately, this is what makes the creative process so interesting, as it allows those who contemplate the mural to generate their own stories. Interpretation is always personal and sometimes even deeper—and better—than what the artist envisioned,” Vicentef explains. “In any case, whether people delve into the message or not, the important part is giving art the space to unfold in highly frequented areas. With this mural, we brought color, a sense of adventure, and a strong invitation to experience new journeys around the world. If people take away just that—the basics—it’s more than enough,” the artist adds.
Mabel Vicentef’s mural at the Konex Cultural Center is part of AkzoNobel’s global program Let’s Colour. This initiative, launched by the world’s leading industrial and decorative paint company, seeks to “demonstrate the power of color to positively transform urban landscapes around the globe,” as stated on its website. The motivation behind this colorful initiative, as the artist explained, is simple: to ensure that neighbors, everyday people, and ordinary citizens can enjoy art in the streets, beyond the spatial limits of museums. A high-impact formula to liberate art and allow both people and cities to resonate with the power of its inspiring magic.
