Street art helps residents of Spanish village overcome their differences
4 April 2017 1:57 PM IST4 April 2017 1:57 PM IST
The residents were at odds over a planned dump.
Fanzara is a small Spanish country village whose handful of mostly elderly residents were once so bitterly divided that their allegiance to one camp or the other determined which bar they frequented (Photo: AFP)- Since 2015 more than 2,300 children have taken a guided tour of the works, helping to invigorate the life of the village that is home to just 18 schoolchildren (Photo: AFP)
- Initially many villagers had been reluctant to hand over the wall space. But the artists gradually gained their trust by working closely with them and designing works that reflect village life (Photo: AFP)
- It turned into a street art festival, with 21 artists descending on Fanzara a few months later who ended up decorating dozens of grey walls encouraged by enthusiastic locals (Photo: AFP)
- So in 2014 the village's new municipal council came up with the idea to invite local residents and street artists to create one giant mural (Photo: AFP)
- But, today in Fanzara, the bad blood is almost forgotten and the village has been revived -- thanks to street artists from around the world (Photo: AFP)
- So heated became the local tussle over plans to build a toxic waste dump that it aroused old Civil War-era rivalry and prompted neighbours to cross the street to avoid one another (Photo: AFP)
Fanzara is a small Spanish country village whose handful of mostly elderly residents were once so bitterly divided that their allegiance to one camp or the other determined which bar they frequented (Photo: AFP)
The residents were at odds over a planned dump.
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