Wauwatosa, Wis. -- Bostik recently announced the winner of the Bostik Mexico Pixel Mural Competition (General Public Category). Bostik’s Latin America national sales manager, Daniel Sanchez, presided over the glass mosaic mural’s debut as Master of Ceremonies with over 200 industry professionals in attendance.
“This competition is an extension of Bostik´s Signature Spaces program, which started in the United States a few years ago. Overall, it’s an interactive, informative and really fun way to promote the many cogent solutions our firm offers the marketplace,” said Sanchez. “In Mexico, what is different from the U.S. version, is that we choose public spaces to install the winning murals. The highly imaginative, challenging, and beautifully designed permanent projects not only beautify the landscape; they also serve as instant reference for architects, designers, specifiers and other customers, magnifying public exposure to our brand. Additionally, this competition has allowed us to give back to the community, helping to further beautify Mexican cities.”
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 winning mural’s unveiling were extended to Bostik customers and government officials, including Jose Manuel Blanco of the French Embassy in Monterrey.
“Very often, urban art illustrates and links to the people and place where it is displayed,” said Blanco. “This is clearly the case regarding ‘Pixel Mural Competition’ orchestrated by Bostik, a French-based company. Contestants were asked to present proposals showing Monterrey not only as a well-known industrial city but, as a creative, innovative, cultural and artistic city. We congratulate the winner of this first edition of the Pixel Mural Competition by Bostik. 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 powerful driver in the implementation of any city´s cultural policy.”
Created by graphic designer/illustrator, Mario Alberto Lopez Melendez, the winning design proudly showcases Monterrey´s iconic mountains, 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 finally, a sculptor’s spatula. Of 90 highly-creative submissions, Lopez’ mural design was selected as grand prize winner by a panel of judges.
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 high-performance adhesives and sealants, was recently acquired by Bostik. The sheets were then adhered to an aluminum framing using Bostik´s Panel Tack HM and Foam Tape. Finally, everything was grouted using Bostik´s Dimension RapidCure Glass-filled, Pre-Mixed Grout in diamond. Expansion joints were also sealed with Den Braven´s translucent neutral cure silicones.
“We were thrilled to participate in Bostik’s Pixel Mural Competition,” said Ted Acworth, co-founder of Artaic. “The competition’s mission aligns with Artaic’s 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.”
Scott Banda, Bostik’s director of marketing and business development, added, “Bostik Signature Spaces is all for the support of local talent. For this particular competition, we encouraged the Monterrey artistic community to learn how our products could be implemented to create one-of-a-kind, permanent public works of art. The response was solid. And, the results speak for themselves.”
For more information, visit www.bostik.com.
