June 3, 2021
Artist’s process draws on math and science to create a gravity defying work that appears to shift based on your perspective.
CODA and DataBank, a data center located on the campus, have worked together to commission a new mural on Armstead Place NW by Spanish artist Cinta Vidal Agulló.
The 80 foot by 150 foot mural was curated by Living Walls, a local nonprofit that produces intentional, thought-provoking public art to inspire social change and activate public spaces. Next Tier HD, the real estate developer behind the construction of CODA, reached out to Living Walls back in 2016 to explore a collaboration.
“The mural was always, even before they broke ground, a part of the design of the building and the spirit of community for CODA,” said Monica Campana, executive director of Living Walls.
High Art for a High-Tech Neighborhood
Living Walls wanted to work with an artist who understood architecture well and had a level of math and science behind their process.
“We spent years looking for the right artist and design, and commissioned many artists to submit conceptual designs until finally, Cinta Vidal was selected,” Campana said.
Vidal studied at Escola Massana in Barcelona and began working as an apprentice in a scenography workshop taught by Josep and Jordi Castells at age 16. She has collaborated in painting large format backdrops for European and international operas and theatre companies and currently has murals displayed in Long Beach, California; Hong Kong; Barcelona; Honolulu; and San Francisco. Follow her on Instagram at @cinta_vidal.
Her untitled mural at Tech Square represents how new technologies interact with people in a diverse and complex way. The abstract architecture in which the characters travel refers to the scientific innovation that transports us to unexpected places.
Double-Take
The mural is a double anamorphosis, meaning that there are two specific points of view you can view the piece from – each with its own unique perspective. This means that Vidal’s work can be best appreciated when viewed from the side streets West Peachtree Street and Spring Street rather than straight on. Viewers will see it transforming before their eyes while walking by.
“I always play with gravity to express that we cannot see the world from a single point of view, even if it seems that way to us,” Vidal said. “It is impossible. Each person has their own perspective of the world, and my work is my way of expressing this idea.”
View the Work Near Tech Square
Vidal was scheduled to paint the mural in 2020, but because of the pandemic, the project was delayed for a year.
“I had never come to Atlanta before, and I was really looking forward to it!” she said. “The people from Living Walls have been showing me different neighborhoods with lots of old houses. I love the architecture around here. I’m looking forward to seeing more of it.”
The artwork is currently underway by Vidal and her assistant, Helena Salvador, and is slated to be completed on June 5.
Did you know there are nearly 50 public art installations in one square mile of Midtown, from murals to sculptures and artwork displayed in vacant storefronts?