Mario Torero - Illuminating Communities With Artivism
The fight against injustices continues to this day, and Mario Torero, the artist who expresses moving messages through his work, continues to disseminate his beliefs through a movement known as Artivism. As a muralist, he embraces and explores a community's history, uses the knowledge, and combines both traditional and current customs to produce colorful murals that may be found in numerous neighborhoods across America. He continues to demonstrate to the world the influence and power of art on those who witness it. Read on to learn more about Mario Torero!
Where are you based?
I live and work out of San Diego and alternate with living in Costa Rica too.
What inspired you to take on the art world?
Being born and raised in an anarchist artist environment prepared me for it.
Given that you have spent the past 45 years involved in the art world, how would you describe your art style and how it has evolved?
Being brown and growing as a teen in the black ghetto of the city, shaped my view of working for justice by exposing in my paintings a sense of protest and hope. What really shaped me is being a member in the civil rights movement which transformed me and the barrio into a cultural revolution in the Chicano Movement. So from being a political artist I became a model leader in the practice of what I coined as “Artivism”.
We love how you travel to cities painting inspiring themes. How do you come up with inspiration for your various murals? What messages do you hope to send to the neighborhoods where you paint murals?
As an artivist, working with the community, locally or abroad, I find the human similarities that ties us together in a bipolar world where a few control the rest of the population creating an environment of confrontation, lacking solutions and a sense of frustration in the local air. I arise to that challenge by involving social elements interactions that are summarized in a vision for a mural. I know beforehand about the impact that a mural can cause to that surrounding environment
Your vibrant works of art in Chicano Park illuminate the community around it. Can you tell us the story of how the Park turned into a site full of art?
“THE GODDESS WORKS IT OUT MUCH AHEAD OF US, about what we don't know but through time it has become a ‘new world’ that's manifesting from our mind and spirit into a dream reality. The world it's actually changing very very rapidly and art and culture stand at the front of this cosmic revolution. So Columbus 500 years went by. The 175 years from the occupation, xikan’s have gone through full transformations of adapting into a complicated state that we as the new American Kulture chican-americans are well pre prepared for this apokalypse. The Park is the evidence of the Prophecy of the Return of Quetzalcoatl unleashing 500 years of rage that manifests through a global uprising of the people taking control of their lives and communities. In Varrio Logan we do it like this, from the heart of aztlan, light emits love and pARTy.
In recent years you have worked on “Pilgrimage to Machu Picchu.” Could you briefly describe the importance of this project?
I am Mayan born in Lima, Peru. Refugee from Peru at 12. I would claim that we scapeteD and I would not turn back and continue forward to the promised land of NY. My illustrious anarchist father master artist, Guillermo Acevedo jumped on a ship from Piura Peru and sailed to SD CA, from where he would live his romantic dream of being a (50’s) hobo by seeing America while getting to NY. But to our surprise we loved SD so we stayed here instead. Raised and experienced in living among x-slaves Blacks and recent conquered Mexicans and Natives, gave me an advanced self identity that reflects the community environment. So my attitude towards my x-country began to change and see the importance of being a native giving me the privilege to act as an ambassador to these similar cultures yet very unique and complementary. So in Dec 2001, at 54 and armed with the spirit of human liberation I went back to recover, verify the parallel philosophical ancestral stories of Union. To my surprise I found the space vacuum that I had left at 12 from Lima and then at 54 I “return” and I found that space still there waiting and welcoming me into my barrio in downtown Lima. All the bohemian artists, fresh from the revolt that ousted the dictator Fujimori, came out to welcome me into the back to the future moment. That impact continues to grow and expand as we can see the present state of Peru, politically and culturally, that like a long time coming deluge is happening and it is taking it all, everyone is impacted. The I/We of Artivists are called upon to become even more activated by the plight of its people. “We Envision SolutionS”. I am a representative South American KondOr sent as messengers to the Eagle & Quetzal Prophecy.
We noticed how you gave lectures at Ted Talks and at schools. What do you hope your listeners take away?
Thinking of the privilege to have the attention of a public audience, it's a peculiar space where anything could happen but it has been designed to function as traditional. But while an artivist is doing art, at a fine point of sensory penetration into the mind's subconscious that the medium can take a secondary vehicle to by-pass on the messages. I do research and things that I discover have a general level of a tuning, so any new information that I can share in person, I do. In some essence its an invader, a spy that enters another's mind and gathers their information through osmosis to then reinforce our personal believes and bounces back with more foundation.
Your art delves deep into significant societal concerns. Why is it crucial to address these issues?
The Human XiKan@ Movement was a communal purge of the boogie-man from our souls. We knew that it would be a long struggle but now we were over the hill and we can see how the world now has fully taken on the “Decolonization” of the world. Our teachings and well giving have the roots of the indigenous jaguar shaman who sees and guides the path. These recovered old and new traditions are our main tool of thriving with culturalArt expressions that transcends mass reality. I think I do that to challenge anyone to put fire in what they do with their art and culture. I want to inspire! The murals reflect the community histories, based on real stories. Created in conjunction with a group of people and artists, schools, etc from the barrio.
We noticed that you identify as an Artivist. Can you describe what it means to be an Artivist?
I am a brown human.
I see how bad we are treated.
I see how I can express our frustration through art.
Painting, poetry, sculpture, photos, singing, dancing, playing music, media-tech.
Expresses our culture and existence as humans on this planet in a free way.
Artists act and take on discussions on critical issues
When they do this, they are acting as activists
And both are at the same “ARTIVISM”
It kinda makes you feel like a superhero.
Like rebel with a cause, yeah.
Makes you feel eternally good.
Like you have a responsibility.
What is the most significant lesson you learned throughout your career?
THAT I CAN'T CONTROL THE DIRECTION OF MY ‘CAREER,
THAT PACHAMAMA IS IN FULL CONTROL OF OUR LIVES AND SHE DOESN'T SEEM TO SLOW DOWN WITH AMAZING SURPRISES THAT CONTINUES TO TAKE US HIGHER.
It is inspiring to see how you support social causes and give back to various communities. Are there any non-profits you are currently working with or would like to promote?
We are excited about the opening of the Chicano Park Museum this past fall in Barrio Logan, right in Chicano Park. Well the Escondido Cultural Foundation awarded us the privilege to express fully on a large old tortilleria factory building which we will dedicate on Saturday June 3rd.
Do you have any exciting upcoming projects you would like to share?
YES! A few in progress and a mural project to be dedicated by the end of the month. We are producing a 5 day conference entitled,”Our Walls Speak:Nuestros Muros Hablan”. With the help from the SD Commission of Arts and Culture we received a grant to create a conference to save historical murals.
Then in June, I am making a tour to my ancient roots in the Moorish culture, we are going to Portugal and Spain.
What words of wisdom would you provide to an aspiring artist and Artivists?
Well, to be fully original TO DO ART. Research into art history and the great masters. “Challenge the truth or the lie and figure out how to incorporate your wisdom with your art creation to expose that.”
It has been a crazy past few years, how have you been staying positive?
We as chican’s have been liberated for 52 years. So we feel like we went through that and left it behind with all the trash/baggage that we were forced to consume and now many of us are still vomiting those lies out of our recuperating and healing bodies. Staying attuned to balanced information in global issues and continental changes. These are such amazing times. Like its finally over. We can begin anew from this point and make sense in creating an image that is inspiring us to think and act in new ways.
What is your motto in life?
“RESPECT and BEE FREE, HAPPY & pARTy!”
To learn more about Mario and his artivism, please follow him via the links below:
Mario Torero
Our Walls Speak
Instagram: @mario_torero
