EL SEED’S WAVES: A JOURNEY OF BELONGING AND IDENTITY THROUGH PUBLIC ART AT PIRELLI HANGARBICOCCA

HangarBicocca

Waves Only Exist Because the Wind Blows is the title of the new, monumental-scale work by eL Seed on the exterior walls of the “Cubo” space at Pirelli HangarBicocca, covering a total area of 1,000 square meters and visible from the adjacent area of Sesto San Giovanni, from the adjoining road and bordering railway yards. The site-specific work was commissioned and produced as part of the “Outside the Cube” project, dedicated to transitory forms of art and linked to public spaces which was born in 2016 with the creation of the work Efêmero by OSGEMEOS.

eL Seed is a contemporary artist whose practice encom­passes both painting and sculpture. Over a twenty-five-year career, he has developed a distinctive visual language, in­fluenced by the practice of calligraphy and Urban art, which he uses for outdoor interventions in public spaces, often on an architectur­al scale. The projects are characterized by intricate layers of color, symbols and signs, like universal messages and reflections on the issues of coexistence, peace and freedom.

For his murals, he uses the power of language as a medium to forge global connections and evoke ideas of unity and cohesion, celebrating the beauty and unique­ness of the heritage of the countries he en­counters on his travels. eL Seed conducts extensive research to better understand the essence of the many communities he en­counters and to engage with cultures differ­ent from his own, each time drawing inspira­tion from the wisdom of various local writers, poets, and philosophers.
For years, eL Seed has explored the question of home and identity, the intricacies of migration, the longing for connection and the yearning for a fulfilling sense of belonging.

In Pirelli HangarBicocca, eL Seed is creating an art piece that celebrates the shared journey and the need to belong somewhere. With the shape of a wave beautifully embodying the recurring theme of coming and going, the artwork depicts the wisdom of Cesare Pavese and his famous phrase from the novel La luna e i falò (The moon and the bonfires): “Everyone needs to have a place where he belongs, even if it’s only for the sake of leaving”.
Through eL Seed’s distinctive visual language this artwork amplifies its meaning and talks to everyone about the collective memories of each of us, the layers of our identity.

“Where is home? Is it a place or a feeling? As human beings, we all want to belong somewhere, to a place, to a group. The feeling of being at home is intertwined with the feeling of belonging. The psychological sense of attachment to home is so complex and profound that it goes beyond the physical aspects of a place. It involves a deep emotional connection and a sense of rootedness. As humans, we all long for a sense of belonging. Milan is an international hub that has always been busy welcoming people from all walks of life, joyfully celebrating their diversity while preserving their sense of rootedness and identity” explains the artist.

The project is curated by Cedar Lewisohn, author of different publications on art in public space and Street Art and curator, who explains: “eL Seed’s commission for Pirelli HangarBicocca builds on the artist’s impressive track record of playing with architectural sites from the perspective of history in the here and now. The installation asks urgent and challenging questions about issues shaping our world. The work defies simple classification. It’s site specific, lyrical and subtly political. eL Seed’s process involves geographical research based on quotations, that are factual, but also seek out the soul of the locations they inhabit. This mixed with his exquisite use of forms and colour combinations has created an oeuvre that speaks to diverse communities in all corners of the globe”.

HangarBicocca

About eL Seed

eL Seed’s work has been shown in exhibitions and in public places all over the world including most notably on the facade of Institut du monde Arabe in Paris, in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, on the DMZ between North and South Korea, in the slums of Cape Town and in the heart of Manshiyat Nasr, Cairo’s garbage collectors’ neighborhood.
In 2021, eL Seed was selected by the World Economic Forum as one of the Young Global Leaders for his vision and influence in driving positive change in the world.
In 2019, he won “The international award for public art” for his project in Cairo Perception.
In 2017, he won the Unesco Sharjah prize for Arab Culture. He was named a global Thinker in 2016 by Foreign Policy for his project Perception.
In 2015, the international organization TED recognized him as one of the year’s TED Fellows for advocating peaceful expression and social progress through his work. He has also collaborated with Louis Vuitton on their famous “Foulard d’Artistes”.