Spanish street artist Okuda San Miguel was the first artist to take part in the Truck Art Project in 2015.
You’re unlikely to encounter many works of art while driving down a highway or crossing a busy street. But, in Spain, one artistic venture is hoping to change that.
With a fleet of specially painted vehicles, the Truck Art Project is bringing some of the country’s best known artists out of the galleries and onto the streets.
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It’s the brainchild of Spanish entrepreneur Jaime Colsa, an art collector and owner of Palibex, a logistics and transport company.
“We want to make art accessible to people who don’t usually encounter it, or go looking for it,” Colsa said.
Art in motion
The idea was formed back in 2013 when Colsa commissioned Spanish street artist Okuda San Miguel to paint a mural on the wall of his company’s warehouse.
“Seeing it, we thought, ‘How good would it be, instead of being stuck on the wall (the artwork) could be on the side of the truck for everyone to see?’” Colsa said.
San Miguel was on board with the concept and in November 2015, he unveiled the project’s very first truck.
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From there Colsa expanded the project and, with the help of curators Oscar Sanz and Fer Frances, enlisted some of Spain’s best known street artists, including Felipe Pantone, and traditional artists like Abraham Lacalle and Santiago Ydanez.
Fast forward to today and the project has a fleet of 20 trucks from Colsa’s own logistics company, as well as another trucking firm, with more commissions underway.
If you’re lucky, you can see them traveling their regular commercial routes in Barcelona, Madrid, Seville, Toledo, Santander, Bilbao and Ibiza. The fleet carries everything from wine and olive oil to televisions and toilet paper.
Better than ads?
Painting directly onto the side of a truck has given rise to a unique set of challenges for the artists, especially those not used to working on such a grand scale, or on such an unusual canvas. It was intentional said Colsa.
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“We are taking them out of their comfort zone, forcing them to think in a way they aren’t used to,” he said. “They end up creating something they didn’t expect and they really enjoy it.”
The feedback so far has been positive.
“Many say what a nice change it is to not have advertising on the side of a truck, and instead a work of art. It’s much nicer to see a piece of art drive by when you’re waiting for the bus or walking down the street.”