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Follow my dreams

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 81.184.63.174 (talk) at 02:46, 20 May 2024 (→Labor omnia vincit improbus: new section). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Follow my dreams
A mural showing Alexia Putellas dressed as Superwoman
The original Super Alexia mural before being modified in May 2023.
ArtistTVBoy
Year2022; re-painted and modified in 2023
TypeMural
LocationGràcia, Barcelona, Spain

Follow my dreams is a 2022 hand-painted mural by Italian street artist TVBoy, located in Barcelona. Originally called Super Alexia,[1][2] the author redesigned the work in 2023 due to frequent acts of vandalism.[3][4] While the old work depicts footballer Alexia Putellas as Superwoman celebrating women as well as Putellas' individual and team success, in the new mural Putellas is still depicted wearing a cape, also holding up her hands in the shape of a heart and the slogan "Follow your dreams" has been replaced by "Labor omnia vincit improbus".

TVBoy was inspired to create the mural by his daughter. It was painted in the Barcelona neighbourhood of Gràcia and has been vandalised and repaired several times.

Background and design

Italian street artist TVBoy has been based in Barcelona for many years.[5] In March 2022,[5] TVBoy's young daughter told him that she wanted to be a footballer like Alexia Putellas, the Ballon d'Or winner and captain of FC Barcelona Femení. The team's success in that month and his daughter's words served as inspiration for TVBoy to create a mural of Putellas that would inspire other girls.[6][7] He unveiled the mural on Father's Day in March 2022.[6] It is located on carrer de l'Escorial (by Joanic)[8] in Gràcia, a neighbourhood in Barcelona that is home to iconic street art and architecture,[9][10] and that is supportive of feminism and LGBTQ+ rights, reasons TVBoy felt it was ideal for the mural of Putellas.[11]

The location previously featured a different TVBoy mural, of Argentine footballer Diego Maradona painted after his death;[7][8] the Maradona mural had received some negative responses.[6] TVBoy had painted Maradona as "half saint, half devil" to reflect his issues, but said that when he learned more of Maradona's controversies he wanted to replace it with artwork honouring a woman, that "[he] thought it was a good message that this time a woman was the champion, the star".[11]

Initially, the mural depicted Putellas as Superwoman, wearing a Barcelona shirt with an "A" in a heart on the chest like a superhero crest, and a red cape. The background was lilac to represent feminism and featured the slogan "follow your dreams".[9][10] In September 2023, following Spain's victory at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup and repeated vandalism of the original, TVBoy and his daughter redesigned the mural. Putellas is still depicted wearing a cape, also holding up her hands in the shape of a heart. Her shirt and the background of the mural are painted in blue, red and gold — a mix of the colours of FC Barcelona and the senyera. The slogan has been replaced with "Labor omnia vincit improbus", reflecting the title of Putellas' documentary Alexia: Labor Omnia Vincit.[4][12]

Vandalism

File:Àmbit 2 Palau Robert Jugo com una nena (cropped).jpg
Comments from the vandalised mural used as a physical barrier at a women's sport exhibition in 2023[13][14]

The mural was praised for reflecting in art and society the growing views that "heroes no longer need to be men" and that football is not only for men.[15] Despite Putellas and the mural both being popular in Barcelona, it has been vandalised,[9] first in June 2022, with TVBoy fixing it and sharing the message "haters, we never surrender" on social media.[16] In January 2023 it was defaced with graffiti of lesbophobic slurs and misogynistic comments;[9][17] TVBoy was in Ukraine at the time, but restored it again in February.[10] An image of the vandalised mural was shown at the "Jugo com una nena!" (transl. Play like a girl) exhibition at the Palau Robert in summer 2023, illustrating insults and stereotypes of female athletes. The image is displayed on a wall that is placed as a physical barrier on a running track, which visitors to the exhibition can break down.[13][14]

The redesigned mural was vandalised in January 2024, with La Vanguardia writing this was because of social tensions over her increased feminist activism.[18]

Motto

See also: Labor omnia vincit and Alexia: Labor Omnia Vincit

Labor omnia vincit or Labor omnia vincit improbus is a Latin phrase meaning "Work conquers all". The slogan is reflecting the title of Putellas' 2022 documentary Alexia: Labor Omnia Vincit,[4][19] following Putellas for a year between winning her first and second Ballons d'Or, the series initially intended to document both Putellas' history with Barcelona and Spain, and her 2021–22 season, including the 2022 Euro; with Putellas suffering a season-ending injury days before the Euro, the series shifted tone. Continuing to focus on Putellas' mindset, it additionally presents struggles of elite athletes and injuries.

Putellas has tattooed the motto, used to allude to her greatness in her sport and reflect the personal nature of the series.

References

  1. ^ TVBoy (20 March 2022). Super Alexia in Barcelona.
  2. ^ "TVBoy cambia a Maradona por Alexia Putellas en un mural de Gràcia". El Español (in Spanish). 2022-03-20. Archived from the original on 2023-06-01. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  3. ^ "Vandalizan el mural de Alexia Putellas con proclamas machistas y homófobas: "Ni fútbol, ni femenino"". Público. 2023-01-25. Archived from the original on 2023-01-25. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  4. ^ a b c Muñoz, Miquel (2023-10-24). "L'artista italià que dibuixa Alexia Putellas a les parets de Barcelona". Ara.cat (in Catalan). Retrieved 2024-03-01.
  5. ^ a b "Dibujo mural de Alexia del pintor Tvboy". Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 2022-03-18. Archived from the original on 2022-04-08. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  6. ^ a b c "Tot costa - Tv Boy: "El mural de l'Alexia, amb el 'Follow your dreams', és per encoratjar les noves generacions"". CCMA (in Catalan). 22 March 2022. Archived from the original on 3 February 2023. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  7. ^ a b "Barcelona mural honors Putellas after record breaking Clasico". La Prensa Latina Media. 2022-03-31. Archived from the original on 2023-02-03. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  8. ^ a b "Un mural d'Alexia Putellas pren el lloc de Maradona a Gràcia". beteve.cat (in Catalan). 2022-03-18. Archived from the original on 2022-03-18. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  9. ^ a b c d "Lamentables insultos a Alexia Putellas en un mural de Barcelona". Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 2023-01-25. Archived from the original on 2023-02-03. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
  10. ^ a b c "Tvboy restaura el mural que dedicó a Alexia Putellas y fue vandalizado con insultos lesbófobos". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 2023-02-12. Archived from the original on 2023-03-01. Retrieved 2023-03-01.
  11. ^ a b "TvBoy convierte a Alexia Putellas en un icono del arte urbano en Barcelona". Yahoo Sports (in Spanish). 2022-03-31. Archived from the original on 2022-04-23. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  12. ^ TVBOY (24 September 2023). "Mi hija y yo hemos decidido renovar el mural dedicado a #Alexia Putellas en Barcelona para que siga inspirando a las nuevas generaciones. ¡Con el esfuerzo todos los sueños se pueden conseguir!" (in Spanish) – via X (Twitter).
  13. ^ a b "Vilagrà inaugura l'exposició 'Jugo com una nena!' que busca reivindicar l'esport femení". Govern.cat (in Catalan). Archived from the original on 2023-07-21. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  14. ^ a b "Jugo com una nena! (Fins al 25 de setembre)". Palau Robert (in Catalan). Archived from the original on 2023-07-21. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  15. ^ "¿Qué hace un caballo en esta casa de Terrassa?". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 2023-06-24. Archived from the original on 2023-06-28. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  16. ^ Benintende, Salvatore (14 June 2022). "Working overtime to fix @alexiaputellas mural in Barcelona. Haters, we never surrender". Twitter. Archived from the original on 15 June 2022.
  17. ^ "Vandalitzat amb insults homòfobs el mural d'Alèxia Putellas a Barcelona". CCMA (in Catalan). 2023-01-23. Archived from the original on 2023-02-03. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
  18. ^ ""Z*rra", el vergonzoso insulto en el mural de Alexia Putellas de Barcelona". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 2024-01-22. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
  19. ^ TVBOY (24 September 2023). "Mi hija y yo hemos decidido renovar el mural dedicado a #Alexia Putellas en Barcelona para que siga inspirando a las nuevas generaciones. ¡Con el esfuerzo todos los sueños se pueden conseguir!" (in Spanish) – via X (Twitter).
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