Bostik Inc. has announced the winner of the Bostik Mexico Pixel Mural Competition (General Public Category). The unveiling of the grand prize winning design was staged with typical Bostik-sponsored panache.
The Latin America National Sales Manager from Bostik, Daniel Sanchez, presided over the debut of the glass mosaic mural as master of ceremonies to over 200 industry professionals attending. “This competition is an extension of the Bostik Signature Spaces program, which started in the U.S. a few years ago,” comments Sanchez. “Overall, it’s an interactive and informative way to promote the cogent solutions our firm offers the marketplace.
“In Mexico, what is different from the U.S. version, is that we choose public spaces to install the winning murals. The permanent projects not only beautify the landscape, they also serve as reference for architects, designers, specifiers and other customers, magnifying public exposure to our brand,” continues Sanchez. “Additionally, this competition has allowed us to give back to the community, helping to further beautify Mexican cities. Bostik contests offer a way for design professionals to stand out and have the chance to be recognized within their fields.”
The mural was installed at the “Paseo Santa Lucia” (Santa Lucia River Walk) in Monterrey, a manmade, 1.5 mile-long river created in the exact location the city of Monterrey was founded, 421 years ago. The park receives over 8 million visitors annually, coming from all over the world. Invitations to the unveiling of the winning mural were extended to Bostik customers and many officials, as well. These included Jose Manuel Blanco of the French Embassy in Monterrey, who declares, “Often urban art illustrates and links to the people and place where it is displayed. This is the case regarding Pixel Mural Competition orchestrated by Bostik, a French-based company. Contestants were asked to present proposals showing Monterrey not only as an industrial city but, as a creative, innovative, cultural, and artistic city.”
“We congratulate the winner of this edition of Pixel Mural Competition by Bostik,” adds Mr. Blanco, “And, we will vote for Bostik to keep supporting urban art in the long term, further contributing to the organization of an international conference, as urban art represents a driver in the implementation of any city´s cultural policy.”
Along the river walk, people will find different expressions of public art, including several murals,” states Sanchez. “However, this is the park’s only back-lit glass mosaic tile mural, and it also happens to be the largest one to be seen. The size of the mural is 13.3 meters (43.6 feet) wide and 3 meters (9.8 feet) tall. And, its total weight is 600 kilograms.”
Created by graphic designer/illustrator, Mario Alberto Lopez Melendez, the winning design showcases the mountains of Monterrey including “El Cerro de la Silla,” the symbol of the city, located at the center of the mural under a star-lit mosaic sky. The design showcases seven hands, each with a different instrument / tool used to create various forms of art. From left to right, one can see a paintbrush, an aerosol can, a stiletto, a guitar pick, a pen, a ballerina’s hand and a sculptor’s spatula. Of 90 submissions, Lopez’s mural design was selected as grand prize winner by a panel of judges. He accepted his award, an all-expenses-paid trip to Paris, for two, courtesy of Bostik.
The mural, produced by event co-sponsor, Artaic-Innovative Mosaic, was made with almost 90,000 Venetian glass tiles bonded to acrylic sheets using Den Braven´s clear MS adhesives (Den Braven, a company specializing in manufacturing adhesives and sealants, was acquired by Bostik). The sheets were then adhered to an aluminum framing (which resembled a ventilated façade) using Panel Tack HM and Foam Tape. Finally, everything was grouted using its Dimension RapidCure Glass-filled, Pre-Mixed Grout in the color Diamond. Expansion joints were also sealed with the Den Braven translucent neutral cure silicones.
“We were thrilled to participate in the Bostik Pixel Mural Competition,” states Ted Acworth, co-founder of Artaic. “The competition’s mission aligns with the company ethos to modernize and revitalize this traditional art form. We congratulate Mario Alberto Lopez Melendez on his leading design and are honored to have brought his vision to life.”
“Bostik Signature Spaces is all for the support of local talent,” declares Scott Banda, Bostik director of marketing and business development. “For this particular competition, we encouraged the Monterrey artistic community to learn how our products could be implemented to create permanent public works of art. The response was solid. And, the results speak for themselves.”